

/ 


\ 


1 













// 


- 




» 






N 





9 


9 









% 


% 


P 


i 


i 











i 


* 








































. 







































































































1 






THE BEARS BEGAN TO PUSH APPLES, CAKES AND PEANUTS THROUGH 
THE BARS OF THE CAGE TO BILLY. 


(Page 75) 







MADE IN U. S. A. 



"PZ 10 
. 3 


Copyright 1908 
by 

The Saalfield Publishing Co. 


SAALFIELD 




i 

I 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP. p AGE 

I Billy First Hears of the Circus 9 

II Making Preparations 17 

III Billy Whiskers Decides 29 

IV On His Way to the Circus 39 

V Going the Rounds 31 

VI The Elephant’s Trunk 63 

VII Billy in Danger 71 

VIII Chosen Leader 81 

IX Billy Whiskers Joins the Circus 93 

X The Kidnappers Foiled 105 

XI The Wreck 121 

XII Home Again 135 




ILLUSTRATIONS 



The bears began to push apples, cakes and peanuts through the 
bars of the cage to Billy. 

The procession finally moved off. 

“Quit that!” shouted Billy. 

‘Til give you this pony, harness and wagon if you'll let me 
have Billy.” 

He rode on the back of Jumbo, the great elephant. 

Tom and Harry invited them to the house. 











Billy Whiskers at the Circus 


CHAPTER I 

BILLY FIRST HEARS OF THE CIRCUS 

Billy Whiskers settled in Farmersville he fully expect- 
o end his days in that quiet little community where he 
had a good home, plenty to eat, many friends and enjoyed the reputa- 
tion of being the wisest of the animals at Cloverleaf Farm. 

Those of you who do not know his earlier adventures had better 
read them in the other Billy Whiskers books. There is no time to 
tell them now for so much happened at the Circus we shall have to 
hurry in order to get through telling about it by the time this book 
comes to an end. 

Even Billy himself, in after years, when he amused his great 
grandchildren with stories of his earlier life, used to say that the day 
at the Circus and those that followed were the most exciting and 
interesting of all his life; and although he was asked to repeat the 
story very often he generally refused, keeping it for special occasions 
like birthdays, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas. He said 
if told too often, it would become an old story and all the kids in time 
would begin to regard their grandfather an old bore, just as they did 



9 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

the Mexican parrot who was forever telling the same thing over and 
over again. Billy Whiskers, you see, was very wise. He knew that 
good stories are just like good clothes or anything else choice, that in 
order to keep them good, they must not be brought out every day. 

Billy Whiskers, many of you remember, was a very remarkable 
goat, larger and stronger than others, with a beautiful white coat that 
when cleaned and well combed was the color of ivory and shone like 
silk. His horns, too, always attracted attention, they were so long 
and shiny. He could run faster, jump higher and butt harder than 
any goat he ever met in all his travels, so that wherever Billy went he 
very soon became a leader, though he often had to fight before the 
other goats found out that they had far better mind than take the 
consequences of disobedience. 

He was saved from being a bully, conceited and cruel, by a kind 
heart and sunny disposition. As soon as he succeeded in establishing 
his right to leadership, instead of abusing his power by taking the 
best of everything for himself, he would protect and help the weak, 
kindly look after the little kids and always see that the old goats were 
fed before he ate himself. 

It was a sorry day for any dog who bothered the flock when Billy 
Whiskers was around. Many a one went howling home after Billy 
got through with him. Small boys, too, learned that it was safer and 
better not to throw stones in his direction- Probably there are as 


io 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 


many as twenty of them who have had the awful feeling that comes 
of trying to run fast enough to get away from the biggest goat that 

almost anybody ever saw, know- 
ing that he was losing ground 
every second, hearing plainer 
and plainer every jump of his 
pursuer, and the last dreadful 
moment just before the shock 
came, and then flying through the 
air as though fired out of a gun, be- 
lieving his end had surely come. 
But it never did. Billy Whis- 
ht kers looked out for that and 
so timed his attacks that he 
. could land his victim in a 
\ ^ * soft place, though he did not 
in the least mind if it hap- 
pened to be a mud puddle. 

One day he tossed a par- 
ticularly mean boy right on 
[i top of a hedge where he staid 
until his yells attracted the attention of the hired man ploughing in a 



ii 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

near-by field who made no haste, Billy noticed, to pull him out of his 
prickly nest. 

You must not suppose from this description that Billy Whiskers 
was a model of good behavior for he certainly was not that. When 
he was hungry, he would eat whatever he could get hold of, whether 
it was intended for him or not. He preferred a lettuce bed or garden 
generally but did not draw the line at eating clothes hung out on the 
line to dry, or going into a pantry, no matter whose, and helping him- 
self to everything in sight. 

Of course, tricks of this kind got Billy Whiskers into serious 
trouble more than once, but he never said much about it and the 
animals at Cloverleaf Farm either didn’t know or wouldn’t believe 
such stories of their Billy even if they had leaked out and been whis- 
pered around. 

Ever since he had been living at Cloverleaf Farm, which is near 
Farmersville or “The Corners,” as the place was more generally 
called, Billy had behaved himself, had stopped stealing things to 
eat, had quit fighting, which it must be confessed he dearly loved, and 
in less than a year had established himself on the friendliest footing 
not only with his master and mistress and all the children, but likewise 
with the black cat, the dog, the colt and his mother, as well as the 
other horses, the cows and calves and even Big Red, the bull, said to 
be very fierce, also the flock of sheep with Old Buck for leader. 


12 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

As was stated at first, Billy Whiskers had found life so pleasant 
of late that he had fully made up his mind to stay where he was as 
long as he lived, 
work he had to do 
much to his liking. It 
consisted mainly in pull- 
ing little Dick around the 
place in his express wagon 
when Tom or Harry us- 
ually did the driving. 

Now and then the drivers 
would want to ride, some- 
times both of them, when the 
load would be pretty heavy and 
more than once, at such times, 

Billy was tempted to 
run away as he used 
to do in his earlier 
years, upset his load and smash the wagon all to flinders; but he 
stoutly resisted these promptings of rebellion, knowing well by long 
experience that it is with goats as it is with boys and girls better to 
take things as they come ; that it is the hard work now and then, the 
giving up to others and readiness to do one’s share of whatever comes 



13 


Billy fVhiskers at the Circus 

along that tells whether he is made of the right kind of 
stuff. 

So things were moving smoothly with Billy Whiskers and he had 
no thought of not spending the rest of his life with the Treat family, 
when one June day he heard Tom Treat ask Jack Wright, his play- 
mate and chum, if he were going to the Circus that was coming to 
Springfield the next week. Jack said that he had not heard about it. 
Tom, who had just returned from The Corners where he had gone on 
an errand for his mother, then told him about the show bills that some 
men were putting up on the sides of the post office and blacksmith’s 
shop. He said that he had waited so long to see them all that he had 
forgotten all about his errand — he called it his “old errand” — that 
his mother was waiting for the baking powder and that he had caught 
“hail Columbia” when he finally got home. 

Jack said that was nothing, it did not hurt when a fellow was 
used to it as he was, and that if he had been in Tom’s place he 
wouldn’t be home yet. 

From this you can see what sort of a boy Jack was. 

Billy Whiskers, who was standing near by at the time, smiled to 
himself for only the day before he had both seen and heard Jack 
Wright, who was now talking so bravely, spanked for going in swim- 
ming after his mother had told him he mustn’t because the water was 
too cold and likely to make him sick. Jack hadn’t acted then as 


14 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

though it didn’t hurt. In fact, it had hurt so much and made him 
so mad that he had almost decided to run away from home and join 
the gipsies who were then camping at the river not far away. 

But he hadn’t gone after all and was now waiting for his friend 
Tom to tell him more about the Circus. It made him almost sick 
when he thought that very likely his mother might, as further pun- 
ishment for his disobedience, not only not let him go to the big Show 
but put him to catching potato bugs instead. “If she does,” thought 
wicked Jack, “I certainly will run away and never come back.” He 
got some consolation out of imagining how much they would miss 
him. 

While he was planning this revenge, Tom was talking as fast 
as he could and his stories were all the time getting bigger and bigger. 
By that time he said that the elephant was as big as the corn barn, 
that the giraffe was as tall as the old oak, that the boa-constrictor 
could swallow Jeff, the hired man — he wished in his heart he would, 
for Jeff had told his father that Tom had made a mighty poor job of 
hoeing corn the day before — that there were bears and tigers, lions 
and hyenas, wolves and wild-cats, ostriches and eagles, and every- 
thing else. He then began to talk about clowns and beautiful lady 
horseback riders, Arabian steeds and the wonderful doings of the 
trapeze performers. 

Ail the time Billy Whiiker* wti liifcaniag with might and mail. 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

He had never in all his eventful life been to a circus, didn’t know 
what it was, hadn’t even heard of such a thing before. 

The stories Tom Treat was telling Jack Wright excited him and 
the first he knew he had forgotten all about his resolve to never run 
away again and had fully made up his mind that come what might 
and cost what it would, he, Billy Whiskers, goat, would attend the 
Circus at Springfield. 


1 6 


CHAPTER II 


MAKING PREPARATIONS 

H ILLY WHISKERS had more than a week in which to make 
his preparations to go to the Circus. The morning after he 
had heard Tom Treat, his young master, telling Jack Wright about 
it, he almost decided to give up going. 

In the first place he didn’t know what might happen to him, 
and more than once the thought entered his mind that he would be 
running into all sorts of danger. You see that Billy was no green- 
horn. He had knocked about a great deal and had been in some 
awful tight places. There had even been times when it looked as 
though he must pay for some of his escapades with his very life. 
Those of you who have known him before this remember his adven- 
tures in the Rocky Mountains and in Old Mexico, and how he was 
once lost overboard in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Well, 
all of these things tended to make him cautious, so that while he had 
been quick to make up his mind to see for himself this wonderful 
Circus, he did not finally start on the trip until he had thought it all 
over very carefully and counted, as he supposed, the cost. Whether 
he had or not we shall see as we go on. 


*7 


Billy JVhiskers at the Circus 

As the first step in making ready, he decided to ask his animal 
friends at Cloverleaf Farm to tell him all they knew about circuses, 
for, thought he, certainly some of them must know and can just as 
well give me pointers as not. He did not propose to tell anyone, 
however, not even his best friend, Rex, the colt, what his plans were. 

With this scheme in mind, he first approached Abbie, the black 
cat. Her real name was Abagail, and while the boys called her Ab 
for short, sister Emma and Billy Whiskers always addressed her as 
Abbie, “for,” said Billy, “it isn’t so hard a name to pronounce as 
Abagail and sounds very much more friendly than just Ab.” He 
knew that it was well worth his while to be on good terms with her. 

“Abbie,” he said, when he found her napping the next morning 
on the mat before the front door, “what’s a circus?” 

She didn’t move though she heard every word that Billy said. 
The truth is she had been very restless the night before and didn’t 
want to be disturbed in her morning snooze. More than that, she 
had no idea what a circus was and didn’t want to let Billy Whiskers 
see that she couldn’t answer his question if it could be helped. Cats, 
you remember, have been considered very knowing creatures ever 
since the days of the Pharaohs in Egypt, and Abbie was very proud 
of her race and its reputation and didn’t propose to lessen it. So she 
lay perfectly still when Billy asked her about the circus. 

He repeated the question in a louder tone. Still there was 



THE PROCESSION FINALLY MOVED OFF. 



































































































Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

no reply. If his mind had not been so taken up with the matter, 
Billy would have known that there was something wrong and gone 
elsewhere with his question. But he did not stop to think, he was so 
bent and determined on finding out about circuses. So he next, with 
more force than he probably intended to use, poked Abbie in the side 
with his left horn. Then there was a fuss. She jumped up as 
though she had suddenly found herself sleeping on a bumblebee’s 
nest, and the first Billy knew she was looking at him for all the world 
as he had seen her look one day at a strange dog which had chased 
her into a corner where further flight was no longer possible and 
she had turned to fight him off if necessary. Billy Whiskers had 
appeared on the scene then just in time to rescue her, but Abbie had 
now forgotten all about that debt of gratitude. 

There she stood with her front and hind feet close together, her 
back all humped up, her fur sticking out so that she looked twice as 
big as usual, her tail all swelled up and jerking nervously, while her 
eyes looked, as Billy said afterward, as green as old Croaker’s back. 
(Old Croaker was the big frog in the pond behind the great barn.) 

“Why, Abbie,” exclaimed Billy, “it’s me, your old friend. 
Don’t look like that! I only want to ask you what’s a circus.” 

Then he got a piece of Abbie’s mind. 

“Billy Whiskers, you are no gentleman. If you were, you 
wouldn’t be around here disturbing my rest. You know that I am 


19 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

half dead with neuralgia and that the only sound sleep I get is when 
the sun shines on my right side. Now you be off, and if you ever 
cut up like this again, you’ll get a scratching that you can’t forget 
to the last day of your life.” 

She would probably have kept right on scolding for a long time, 
but as soon as Billy Whiskers realized what he had done, he turned 
and trotted off without even trying to apologize. 

“She probably don’t know what a circus is and takes that way 
to conceal her ignorance. I’ll never believe in cats again,” thought 
Billy. 

“There,” said Abbie, when Billy disappeared around the corner 
of the house, “he’s gone and I’m glad of it. He thinks that I know 
all about circuses but wouldn’t tell him because I was cross at being 
disturbed. Wasn’t that a good one about my neuralgia!” and Abbie 
laughed as cats do, and washed her face. 

Billy next asked his best friend and greatest chum, Rex, the 
colt; but Rex, who was quite young, owned up at once that he didn’t 
know. 

“Billy Whiskers,” said he, “how can I be expected to know 
about such things when you don’t? You have been almost every- 
where and I always thought you had seen everything. If you don’t 
know what a circus is, there is no one at Cloverleaf Farm who can 

tell you.” 


20 




Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

Some people would have been discouraged by this time, but not 
so Billy Whiskers. 

“I’ll have to ask old Polly 
Parrot and I don’t want to one 
bit. She will probably laugh 
at me, and it is quite as likely as 
v/ not she may suspect 
/ my plan and in that 
case she will blab it 
^all over Cloverleaf 
and I’ll find myself 
shut up and closely 
guarded by Tom 
and Harry. While 
I don’t like Polly 
Parrot any too well, 
I must admit that 
she is as sharp as 
tacks and if I’m to 
get anything out of 
her I shall have to 

be very sly when I ask her about the matter.” 

Billy was just saying these mean things to himself when he 



21 



Billy hVhiskers at the Circus 

spied Miss Polly out in the grape arbor, swinging and chattering. 

“Now is my time,” thought Billy. 

“How do you do, Polly Parrot? Nice morning, isn’t it? You 
have no idea how fine you look with the sun shining on your beau- 
tiful feathers. I’ve always known that you are handsome but you 
certainly outshine yourself today.” 

vThat will fetch her,” thought Billy. 

“What do you want now, Billy Whiskers? You can’t fool me 
by your soft talk. You are up to some mischief. What is it?” 

Billy, without replying, beat a hasty retreat, thankful that he 
had not asked Polly Parrot outright about circuses. 

“She is a suspicious old maid,” he said to himself, “and I can’t 
afford to fool with her.” 

Billy then went to the stable to interview old Gyp, the horse 
that was said to have been in the Treat family for nearly thirty 
years. 

“Billy Whiskers,” she said, hearing his question, “I wish I 
could tell you about circuses, but I can’t. My memory is no longer 
good. It seems to me that more than twenty years ago I heard a lot 
about a circus being in Springfield and a man by the name of Bar- 
num who was connected with it, but I am not sure and it makes my 
head ache to try and recall the circumstances. I’m sorry I can’t 
help you, and I am afraid that you will not come to 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 


call cn me soon again because I am so old and for- 
getful.” 

“There, there, old Gyp, don’t worry any 
more about it. I am sorry I asked you the 
question. I know you would gladly tell me 
if you could and that’s kind of you, I am 
sure. Of course I am coming to see you 
every day. I make few calls that 
I enjoy so much.” 

With this kind speech Billy 
left the old horse feeling sure 
that she had a good friend in 
him. It was by such little kind- 
nesses as these that Billy made 
himself 
popular. 

Billy felt 
pretty sure 
that the big 
Newfound- 
land dog, 
Bob, could 

tell him. Of late they had grown to be the greatest friends, 



23 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

though it had seemed for a number of months as if they must always 
remain enemies. Billy thought that Bob was jealous of him, and 
Bob thought Billy was conceited and vain. But after they had to- 
gether saved little Dick Treat from drowning in the swimming hole 
down by the wood lot, they had the utmost respect for each other and 
were ever after the very best of friends. 

“Bob,” said Billy, “what’s a circus?” 

“I can’t tell much about it, Billy Whiskers. When I was living 
in the city, a circus came one day. There was immense excitement. 
I went early to see the parade. After long waiting, I heard some- 
one say that the head of the procession was in sight and that the 
elephants were leading. I ran right out into the middle of the 
street to get a good look. One was enough. I turned and ran, 
never stopping until I was safe under the barn at my home. The 
head of that procession, the elephant, was the biggest, the most dan- 
gerous, the worst looking beast I ever laid my two eyes on. I hope, 
Billy, you may never see one for if you do, your rest will be broken 
for months you will have such dreadful nightmares.” 

Bob fairly shivered as he recalled the elephant to mind. 

Billy asked him no more questions for he saw that Bob had told 
him all he knew about the subject. He made up his mind that it 
would do no good to ask any more of his home friends about it, but 
then happened to think of his disreputable acquaintance, the old 


24 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

striped Coon who lived in the big chestnut tree down in the woods, 
so he went down to see him. 

Mr. Coon was at home and a few knocks on the trunk of the tree 
with Billy’s horns brought him to the door. 

“Hello, Billy Whiskers,” said the Coon. “What do you want? 
Don’t you know that this is my time for sleeping?” 

Billy did know it for he was aware that Mr. Coon spent his 
nights, to a large extent at any rate, in robbing hen roosts. In fact, 
their first meeting had been late one evening when Billy had gone to 
the garden to select some choice lettuce heads for his own eating, a 
thing he wouldn’t have dared to do in the daylight. (This was be- 
fore he had entirely reformed.) He was nibbling away at a great 
rate on the finest plant in the whole bed when he was startled not a 
little at seeing a strange thing creeping noiselessly along just in- 
side the garden fence. It seemed to have fur and also feathers. 
Just as Billy decided that there was a spook after him and it was 
time for him to run for his life, the Coon, for he it was, dropped the 
white chicken he was carrying along in his mouth, and said : 

“Good evening, Mr. Billy Whiskers. I have often seen you at 

> 

a distance but have not had the pleasure of making your acquaint- 
ance before. It seems that you, like me, get your living at night, I 
think that we ought to be friends.” 

Poor Billy, what could he say? He did not want to associate 


25 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

as a general thing with the Coon who was known to be a thief, but 
at the same time he did not see how he could snub him under the 
circumstances. So he replied politely to the Coon’s greeting, and 
ever since they had been more or less friendly, though Billy never 
told anyone at Cloverleaf Farm that he knew the highwayman and 
robber who lived in the old chestnut. 

Billy now answered the Coon’s question by asking another. 

“Mr. Coon, what’s a circus?” 

He was never more surprised in his life than at the effect of his 
question on the tough and wicked old Coon, for no sooner had 
the word circus passed his lips than the Coon fainted dead away 
and dropped down in a limp heap with his head hanging out of the 
big knot hole which served as the door of his house. As Billy could 
not climb up the trunk of the tree to fan him or dash water in his 
face, there was nothing to do but wait for him to revive. 

Pretty soon he began to show signs of returning life and finally 
pulled himself to his feet again. Billy was then not more astonished 
at what he said than at the awful expression on his horrified face. 

“He looked,” as Billy said when he told the story years after- 
ward, “as though he had seen forty ghosts with every last one of 
them after him.” 

When the Coon began to speak, his voice was so cracked and 
squeaky that Billy wouldn’t have known that the bold old Coon was 


26 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

talking had he not seen his jaws wagging. This is what he said: 

“William Whiskers, (he called him “William”) never mention 
that horrid name to me again. It wakes memories that I cannot 
endure. The very thought of them makes me faint and spoils my 
appetite for days. Years ago I was captured and sold to a circus 
and it was nine horrible months before I was able to escape. Ever 
since, the very thought of all I endured makes me weak and sick. 
Nights after eating too much, even of the tenderest chicken, I have 
the most awful nightmares when I see again those horrid monkeys 
who worried me until I was almost crazy. I hated them most of all. 
If the time ever comes when I catch a monkey alone, I’ll make 
mince-meat of him if it is the last thing I ever do. But the monkeys 
were not all. I can hear yet, in my dreams, the roars of the lions, 
the snarling tigers and wild-cats, can see the crowds of people and 
feel the canes that were shoved through the bars of my cage and 
punched into my ribs, and can hear and see that fool of a clown 
saying and doing the same silly things day after day. Oh, it was 
awful! It makes me faint to think of it.” 

Billy thought he was going to keel over again, but he didn’t. 
Feebly waving his paw in farewell, he slowly withdrew from sight. 

The story told by the old Coon made Billy very sober, and again 
he wondered if he had better not stay at home and take no risks, for 
he said to himself : 


27 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

“What if the circus folks should take it into their heads to cap- 
ture me and make me one of their attractions and I should have as 
bad a time as the old Coon? I’d wish then that I had stayed at home 
and minded my own business.” 

After the day spent in fruitless inquiry, he went to bed saying 
that he would sleep over the matter and decide later what he had 
better do. 


28 


CHAPTER III 


BILLY WHISKERS DECIDES 




ILLY awakened from a troubled sleep with doubts and misgiv- 
ings in his mind. If the day hadn’t been fine with everything 
and everybody looking bright and cheerful, the chances are that he 
would have then and there dismissed all thought of the Circus and 
spent the balance of his days in happy though humdrum existence at 
Cloverleaf Farm. In that case this story would never have been told. 

It so happened that Mrs. Treat, the mother of Tom, Dick and 
Harry, wanted some things that morning, and so, after breakfast, 
told Tom, who was the eldest of the three, to wash his face and hands 
clean } put on his shoes and stockings, and make himself neat and 
tidy generally, for she wanted him to go to The Corners to “trans- 
act some business” for her. 

What she really wanted was a spool of thread, a dozen clothes- 
pins, some blueing and two yards of cheese cloth — just common “er- 
rands” as everybody can see. But Mrs. Treat knew how to manage 
boys and she was alive to the fact that her son Thomas had rather 
“transact business” than “do errands.” Even so, he made it a con- 
dition of his cheerful going that Harry and Dick be allowed to 


29 



Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

accompany him, the latter in his new express wagon drawn by Billy 
Whiskers. 

“You may all go,” said Mrs. Treat, “but be very careful, and 
don’t stay too long. Keep a close eye on Billy Whiskers. We all 
love Billy, and he is certainly the handsomest goat in the county, but 
you mustn’t forget that we are not as well acquainted with his early 
history as I wish we were. I have never been able to dismiss the feel- 
ing that there are things in his past that are not to his credit. So you 
want to watch out.” 

The boys promised, though they did not for one minute believe 
that Billy Whiskers had not always been the friendly, quiet, peace- 
able goat that he now appeared. Mrs. Treat, however, was wiser 
and spoke truer than she knew, as this story will show a little later, 
though she need not have given herself any anxiety on the present 
occasion for little Dick and his new, red wagon. Dick was the dear- 
est, brown-eyed little chap in the world and everybody loved him, 
Billy Whiskers included, who wouldn’t for anything have any harm 
or hurt come to his little master when under his care. 

Although they had been through breakfast by seven o’clock, or 
a little later, it was nine before the Treat boys were ready to start to 
The Corners. 

Billy looked very scrumptious in his silver-plated harness, newly 
polished, especially after he was hitched to the new wagon, marked 


30 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 


in gilt letters on the sides “Overland Limited,” with Master Dick 
in the seat, reins in hand, but no whip for Billy Whiskers had early 

given them to understand that a 
whip was worse than use- 
less where he was concern- 
ed. 

The procession finally 
moved off with Tom on 
one side of Billy and 
Harry on the other. 

“We’ll have to keep 
this up,” whispered 
Harry, “until we get 
out of mother’s sight, 
and then we can go as 
'we please.” Harry 
was always called a 
“queer child.” 

At The Corners Billy 
Whiskers saw for himself the 
wonderful bill posters that Tom 

had told Jack Wright about. 

The boys spent as much time as they dared looking at them, 



33 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

accompany him, the latter in his new express wagon drawn by Billy 
Whiskers. 

“You may all go,” said Mrs. Treat, “but be very careful, and 
don’t stay too long. Keep a close eye on Billy Whiskers. We all 
love Billy, and he is certainly the handsomest goat in the county, but 
you mustn’t forget that we are not as well acquainted with his early 
history as I wish we were. I have never been able to dismiss the feel- 
ing that there are things in his past that are not to his credit. So you 
want to watch out.” 

The boys promised, though they did not for one minute believe 
that Billy Whiskers had not always been the friendly, quiet, peace- 
able goat that he now appeared. Mrs. Treat, however, was wiser 
and spoke truer than she knew, as this story will show a little later, 
though she need not have given herself any anxiety on the present 
occasion for little Dick and his new, red wagon. Dick was the dear- 
est, brown-eyed little chap in the world and everybody loved him, 
Billy Whiskers included, who wouldn’t for anything have any harm 
or hurt come to his little master when under his care. 

Although they had been through breakfast by seven o’clock, or 
a little later, it was nine before the Treat boys were ready to start to 
The Corners. 

Billy looked very scrumptious in his silver-plated harness, newly 
polished, especially after he was hitched to the new wagon, marked 


30 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 


in gilt letters on the sides “Overland Limited,” with Master Dick 
in the seat, reins in hand, but no whip for Billy Whiskers had early 

given them to understand that a 
whip was worse than use- 
less where he was concern- 
ed. 

The procession finally 
"moved off with Tom on 
one side of Billy and 
Harry on the other. 

“We’ll have to keep 
this up,” whispered 
Harry, “until we get 
out of mother’s sight, 
and then we can go as 
we please.” Harry 
was always called a 
“queer child.” 

At The Corners Billy 
Whiskers saw for himself the 
wonderful bill posters that Tom 

had told Jack Wright about. 

The boys spent as much time as they dared looking at them, 



33 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

which gave Billy a good chance to carefully examine the marvelous 
sights. 

As all my readers know how circus billboards look and how 
much they make one want to go to the show, they will not be sur- 
prised that Billy Whiskers quite forgot the warning of old Mr. 
Coon and again decided that he must see for himself these wonderful 
animals and astonishing performances that the reading at the bottom 
said were but faintly portrayed by the pictures above. 

When Billy reached home, having brought little Dick and his 
wagon safely through, he lay down to think over once more the 
Circus, the difficulties in the way and the fun it promised. 

All of a sudden he bethought him of his old friend and fellow- 
traveller, Terrence Bull Pup, who, he now remembered, was living in 
Springfield where the Circus was to hold forth. Although Billy 
had not answered Terrence’s last letter, having made up his mind to 
cut loose from his reckless friends when he came to Cloverleaf to live, 
he nevertheless now decided to write to him, telling of his intention to 
come to the Circus and ask his advice about a place to stay. 

“Of course,” thought Billy, “he’ll ask me to come and stop with 
him.” 

So he wrote and sent in the animal fashion and language the 
following well-worded and friendly letter. 


34 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

Cloverleaf Farm, June ioth, 1908. 

Terrence Bull Pup, Esq., 

Maiden Lane, Springfield, Ohio. 

My Dear Friend Terry: — 

Although it has been a long time since you have heard from me, 
I am still your true friend and now welcome the prospect of renew- 
ing our old-time acquaintance with the utmost pleasure. 

You will be glad to hear that I am well and happy, with a good 
home, plenty to eat and surrounded by many friends. I am no 
longer the sort of goat you used to know, having turned over a new 
leaf on coming here to live. I have given up fighting almost alto- 
gether, very rarely steal things to eat or rob pantries or clothes-lines 
now, do but little butting, and, in short, live a peaceable and respect- 
able life, and try to be a good example to all my friends and neigh- 
bors. I never expected to do anything different but I am hearing so 
much about the Circus that is coming to Springfield, and the bill- 
boards that I saw at The Corners this forenoon make it appear so 
attractive that I have decided to take it in, and so write to you, my 
old friend, to ask if it will be quite convenient for you to have me 
for a guest at the time. I not only want to see you, but feel that 
your greater familiarity with the ways of the world at present will be 
of the greatest help to me in keeping out of danger and in seeing all 
the wonderful sights to best advantage. 


35 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

I trust that this letter finds you well and as handsome as ever. 

A prompt reply will be appreciated by 
Faithfully your friend, 

Billy Whiskers. 

“That’s a good letter,” said Billy Whiskers, as he read it over 
before posting. “It will bring an invitation all right or I miss my 
guess. He can’t resist that reference to his good looks. Terry al- 
ways was vain. As near as I can make out, he considers his pug nose 
very cute and attractive and those bow legs of his as models of 
grace.” 

When Terrence Bull Pup received Billy Whiskers’ letter he was 
of two minds, both pleased and mad. 

At first he was inclined to accept Billy’s words of friendship and 
flattery as the true expressions of his warm heart, and write him a 
reply with a cordial invitation to come to Springfield at once, stay 
for a few days and be his guest at the Circus. 

On reading the letter a second time, it occurred to him that Billy 
Whiskers might be trying to make use of him and that all his soft 
remarks about true friendship and his good looks were just so much 
bait with which to catch what he wanted. 

He remembered that in the old days Billy Whiskers was in the 
habit of thus working his friends, and he also recalled the fact that 
his last letter, in which he had suggested joining Billy in his new 


36 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

home at Cloverleaf Farm, had never been answered, a neglect on the 
part of Billy that cut deep and rankled whenever he thought of it. 

More than that, Terrence did not like and had no sympathy with 
this talk about turning over a new leaf. Terrence Bull Pup knew 
well that HE had turned over no new leaves. In fact, if the truth 
must be told, he was now known all up and down Maiden Lane, the 
street on which he lived, as “the terror.” 

“No,” he said, after looking at 
the matter from all sides, “I’ll not 
be taken in by sly old Billy this time. 

If he imagines he can fool me by his 
flattery and true friendship dodge 
he’ll find himself greatly mistaken. 

Anyhow, his letter gives me a 
chance to give him a piece of my 
mind straight, and I’ll just do it, 
too.” 

So he wrote as follows : 

Springfield, June 12th, 1908. 

Dear Bill: 

Your letter just received. I can’t say that I was very pleased to 
get it. If you had answered my last letter I might feel different. 
Of course, if you come to the city to attend the Circus, I shan’t 



37 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

run you off when you knock at my door. But my advice to you is to 
keep away. You are altogether too good now to go to circuses, 
though I well remember the time when you were not good enough. 
This talk of yours about turning over new leaves don’t go with the 
writer of this letter one bit. I knew you too well of old, but even if 
you think you are better than you used to be, you had best take no 
chances of a relapse, but stay where you are, which is the advice of 
Your one-time friend, 

Terry B. P. 

“Well,” said Billy, as he finished reading this letter, “if that 
ain’t the very worst! I must have rubbed his fur the wrong way. 
He always was the meanest dog I ever knew. This settles it — I’ll 
never associate with him again.” 

While Billy talked big, he had a sneaking feeling all the time 
that for once Terrence Bull Pup had the best of him. His conscience 
was not altogether clear about not having answered his letter. 

“At any rate,” he wound up, “I’ll go to that old Circus now if I 
never do another thing. I may have a chance to show that dog a 
trick or two yet. I’ll start day after tomorrow.” 


CHAPTER IV 

ON HIS WAY TO THE CIRCUS 

T was ten miles from Cloverleaf Farm to Springfield so Billy 
Whiskers decided to make an early start for he didn’t want 
to miss any of the sights by being late. More than that, he could 
get away much easier before the family were up when it would be 
necessary to make all kinds of excuses and tell all sorts of fibs, and 
even then it was as likely as not that the boys would decide that it 
would be safer for him to be locked up all day, which would make 
no end of difficulty and delay, even if he finally succeeded in breaking 
out and making his escape. 

The evening before he went around calling on all his friends. 
While he did not actually bid them good-bye, it was afterward re- 
marked that he had seemed unusually kind and subdued. Polly 
Parrot, talking it over with the Plymouth Rock family, said that 
she felt sure all the time that there was something up, but she had 
never hoped for any such good luck as his clearing out. At which 
heartless speech the Plymouth Rocks were greatly scandalized, and 
they told Polly, all talking together, that she ought to be ashamed 
of herself and that they did not care to associate with her any more 


39 


Billy lights kers at the Circus 

until she was ready to take back what she had said and apologize. 

“Uh,” said Polly, ‘‘Apologize nothing! He’ll be back all too 
soon. You’ll see,” and she laughed like a crazy person. 

It seems that she had overheard 
Billy Whiskers call her a mean old 
maid a few days before and had not 
yet either forgotten or forgiven that 
slight. 

All the animals at Cloverleaf, ex- 
cept Polly Parrot, were deeply griev- 
ed when it was learned on Circus day 
morning that Billy Whiskers was no- 
where to be found. 

There were all sorts of guesses as to 
what had become of him. 

Tom and Harry, remembering how inter- 
ested he had been in the billboards at The 
Corners, at once suspected the truth, and nothing 
must do but that their father must take them to Springfield that they 
might look for missing Billy. 

Mr. Treat, who had been trying to find some good excuse for 
going, agreed with the boys very much more readily than they had 
expected and told them to be ready to start by eight o’clock so as not 
to miss the parade. 



40 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

Mrs. Treat, who had said over and over again that Springfield 
was too far away for any of them to think of going, when she learned 
what preparations were afoot, at once decided that it would not be 
safe for them to go without her, and if she went little Dick would 
have to go too. So at the appointed time they all started. 

Billy Whiskers, though he never intended it, was therefore 
responsible for his little masters seeing a circus for the first time 
in their lives, and he was glad at having been able to do them that 
great favor when, in the end, it all came out well. 

In the meanwhile Billy, who had started a little after four 
o’clock in the morning, was on his way to Springfield, following the 
road which he learned by previous inquiry was the shortest and 
most direct. 

His mind was not entirely at peace for it troubled his conscience 
to have thus unceremoniously left behind him the home and friends 
where and by whom he had, on the whole, been treated most kindly; 
and while it was his good intention to return the following day at 
latest, there was an uneasy feeling in his bones that it might be a long 
time before he should see Cloverleaf Farm again, but these sad 
thoughts and gloomy forebodings were soon outweighed by the ex- 
citement of the journey and the anticipation of the pleasures in 
store. 

He had gone probably four miles before anything out of the 


4i 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

common occurred to disturb his serenity or interfere with his peace- 
ful progress. 

It is altogether likely that he might have gone on and reached 
Springfield by eight o’clock at latest, in ample time to see not only 
the great parade but some of the show cars unload as well, had he not 
turned aside to snip a few heads of delicious looking cabbage which 
he chanced to spy in a garden at the side of a house he was passing. 
Cabbage, you know, is regarded about the finest of all vegetables 
by goats, and in this respect Billy Whiskers was no exception to the 
rest of his tribe. 

So when he saw the beautiful green leaves sparkling with the 
dew of the early morning, the temptation was more than he could 
resist. 

He was eating away at a great rate, having, as he afterward 
declared, the time of his life, when, without warning sound, he was 
startled nearly out of his wits by the feel of heavy hands suddenly 
laying hold of his horns. A voice that sounded to him like the crack 
of doom, (that is what he called it when he told the story to his grand 
children many years later) called out: — 

“I’ve got you this time, my beauty, and I’ll be blest if I don’t 
keep you! You’ll pay well for stealing in my garden. Come here, 
Lige, and help me lock this goat in the barn. He’s the biggest one 
I’ve ever seen and I can’t handle him alone. Hurry up! He’s 
getting ugly.” 


42 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 


Billy was certainly becoming as ugly as he could under the cir- 
cumstances, but there was very little chance for him to use his great 
strength, and as for butting his captor, < ,j 

Farmer Grant, none at all, 
for he had both Billy’s horns 
in his powerful hands and 
was rubbing his nose in the 
cabbage or dirt, wherever it 
happened to strike, with no 
let-up. With the aid 
of the hired man called 
Lige, Billy was finally push- 
ed and pulled inside the big 
barn door, which was quick- 
ly shut and securely 
locked. 

Eve n then Billy 
would have made 
things lively but his 
horns were still held in 
that horrible grip, and not until a stout 
strap was buckled about his neck and he was tied by a strong rope to 
a wagon wheel did the farmer let go, jumping out of harm’s way at 



43 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

the same instant, for he already felt no little respect for those long 
sharp horns and Billy’s strong neck. 

“We’ll leave him for the day, and by the time we are back from 
the Circus he will be so hungry that we can manage him without 
risking our lives. He is certainly the biggest and handsomest goat 
I ever saw. I wonder where he comes from. You don’t suppose, 
Lige, that he belongs to the show and has run away? At any rate, he 
is mine now and anybody who gets him will have to pay well.” 

Farmer Grant talked on at a great rate as he and Lige were 
hitching the span of handsome bay colts to the family surrey prepara- 
tory to going to Springfield for the day. They then went into the 
house for breakfast, and at eight o’clock the whole family had started. 

Billy, in the meantime, had been resting and laying his plans. 
As soon as he saw that he was fastened by a rope instead of a chain 
he began to be hopeful and his spirits rose, though he greatly regret- 
ted the loss of time. 

He commenced chewing away at his tether before the Grant 
family had driven out of the front gate and never stopped until the 
rope fell apart. This took fully half an hour. While he was doing 
this, you can imagine his surprise and guilty fear at seeing through 
a crack in the side of the barn the whole Treat family driving by. 
He hadn’t expected that they were going to the Circus — hadn’t 
wanted them to, in fact, for he knew that he would have to keep 


44 


Billy fVhiskers at the Circus 


dodging them if they were there, and he more than suspected that 
there would be excitement quite enough without this added anxiety. 
But since 

r 

\trr;.miiiiiiiiiiiii 


they were to 
be present, he 
was glad that 
he had seen 
them for 
he would 
now be on 
his guard. 

After 
cutting the 
rope that 
held him 
with his 
sharp 
teeth, the 
next thing 
was to get out 
of the barn. This 
was no easy matter, and Billy had about decided that it would be 
necessary to butt right through the side of it when he discovered a 

45 




Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

small door fastened on the inside by a wooden latch. By raising the 
latch with one horn he was able to release and so open the door. 

After getting out, he first thought that he would pay off Farmer 
Grant for all the mean things he had done to him, but just as he was 
about to begin with spoiling his garden, he heard the clock in the 
house begin to strike and so stopped to count. 

“Ten o’clock,” said he, “and six miles to go. I haven’t time now 
to do a good job, so I’ll wait until I come back and then I’ll fix him 
or my name is no longer Billy Whiskers.” 

Poor Billy, little he knew what was in store for him! 

He soon found that he could no longer travel in the road. There 
were too many people constantly passing, all going toward Spring- 
field, doubtless to attend the Circus. Almost everybody either called 
to him, passed comments on his appearance, or wondered where so 
fine a goat could be going all by himself. 

“This is bad enough,” thought Billy, “but it will be worse if 
somebody overtakes me who knows who I am. As like as not he 
would try to capture me and then my fun would be spoiled. No, the 
only thing now to do is to take to the fields. I’ll get there some 
way but it is harder work than I ever thought.” 

He soon found a place where the bars were down, and turned 
aside into the fields. 

Following along as near to the road as he dared, he made pretty 

46 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

fair progress. Presently he heard whistles begin to blow, and cod- 
ing to the top of the hill he was climbing, looked down on the other 
side to find the busy little city 
Springfield 
him. 

“It 
mented 
whistles are 

keep me busy to get to the 
show by the time 
fhe) performan- 
ces begin. The 
bills said one 
o’clock sharp. 

Way off there to 
the south is 

ain’t it a whopper! I don’t know how I shall ever get in, but I must 
manage it somehow, and I’m glad I’ve come. If only Terrence Bull 
Pup hadn’t been so snippy, I would have had no trouble and might 
have seen the whole thing. As it is, I’ve missed the parade. I wish 
now that I hadn’t stopped to eat that cabbage. 

“I hope I see Terrence. If I do, he’ll soon find I am not so 
good yet as to pass over his slights without notice. I can just feel 



47 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 


myself giving him such a butting as he has never had before.” 
All this time Billy was trotting down the long hill that leads into 

Springfield from the west. 
The houses were becoming 
thicker and difficulties in go- 
ing cross-lots increasing. He 
shortly found it necessary 
to take to the open streets. 
[But there were so many 
people, and so much ex- 
citement and con- 
fusion that Billy 
was a little out of 
impatience to find 
that no attention 
was paid to him. 

Even the boys, 
who had generally 
made him trouble 
in the old days, now 
let him alone. 
They were on their way home from see- 
ing the parade where there had been elephants, and camels, and bears, 



Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

and lions and tigers on view. What was a goat, even as big and proud 
and handsome as Billy Whiskers, to sights like these? 

Besides all that, most of them were going back to see the per- 
formance as soon as they had had their dinners. No, they had no 
time for goats now! 

Little they guessed how much of that day’s excitement and fun 
would be due to the great goat they were meeting so carelessly in the 
street. If they had, you may be sure they would have looked at him 
twice. 

At length Billy Whiskers found himself before the great tent. 
People were beginning to crowd in. There were hundreds and 
thousands of them. The day was hot and the dust stifling. There 
was an awful racket and Billy had all he could do to keep from 
being trodden under foot. 

As he waited, he wondered what he was to do next and almost 
wished that he was safely with his dear friends at Cloverleaf Farm. 
Finally he made up his mind that as there was no one likely to offer 
him a ticket, the only way for him to get inside was to go. So he 
made a rush for it right through the opening in the side of the tent, 
past the ticket takers, who made a grab at him. 

“Never touched me!” shouted Billy. Then he raised his head 
to find himself surrounded by such sights as he had never even 
dreamed of. 


49 



CHAPTER V 


GOING THE ROUNDS 

stars 1” said Billy, as he cast a frightened look around, “I 
lon’t wonder now that my friend Bob ran for his life and hid 
under the barn when he saw animals like these coming toward him. 
I’d run too if I could, but I can’t now. If all these people feel safe 
and can have a good time, I guess I can take care of myself.” 

Having in a great measure collected his wits by this time, and 
his heart no longer beating so that he could scarcely breathe, the 
result of the excitement of rushing past the ticket takers, he made a 
more careful survey of his surroundings and quickly decided on his 
course of action. 

He saw that he was in the section of the great tent devoted to the 
wild animals and freaks. As all readers know just how the cages are 
placed around the sides of the tent, with the elephants and camels in 
the middle; and how the human skeleton, the fat lady, bearded 
woman, hairy man, dwarf, giant and such like freaks are seated on 
a raised and rickety platform not far from the elephants, we will not 
stop to describe the scene that now presented itself to Billy Whiskers’ 
wondering gaze. It looked grand to him and he was just as excited 




Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

as boys and girls are when they find themselves inside the great tent 
with all its wonders spread out before them. 

“I’ll first call on the animals and 
make friends with those that look 
pleasant and answer good-natured- 
ly the few questions which I 
want to ask,” thought Billy. 

“Then I will go in and see the 
Circus that the billboards at The 
Corners had so much to say 
about, and especially the clown 
who makes Tom and Harry 
Treat laugh so that they can 
never mention him without al- 
most splitting themselves. I didn’t 
like all the things they said about 
him. If he makes those poor 
horses race too fast and strikes 
people with that board of his that 
cracks so, I shall be tempted to give 
him a dose of his own medicine. I am 
not so meek yet, in spite of what Terrence Bull Pup is pleased to say, 
that I can stand it to see horses abused or innocent actors hurt by an 
outlandish looking clown.” 



52 




“QUIT THAT!” SHOUTED BILLY. 




Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

What really happened to the clown, owing to Billy, we shall 
hear a little later. 

So with only the thought to bother him that some member of the 
Treat family might spy him and take him out for safe-keeping before 
he had seen all the sights, Billy started right in at the cage nearest to 
hand. As for the Treats, he knew that there was nothing to do but 
take his chances and that they were pretty good considering the great 
size of the tent and the thousands of people in it. 

As he approached the cage in question, a big one, he discovered 
that it contained six or eight animals about the size of his friend Bob, 
the dog at Cloverleaf, though not nearly so pleasant to look at. 

“Indeed,” thought Billy to himself, “I’m glad that crowd are 
where they can’t get at me. I don’t like their looks. I’ll just see 
who they are and pass along.” 

This was easier said than done for every one of the group of 
prisoners was restlessly pacing up and down, evidently looking for 
some way to get out. 

It was a minute or two before Billy was able to catch the eye of 
one of them for they seemed to never look at anyone, afraid to, in 
fact. At length the largest, who seemed bolder than the rest, caught 
sight of Billy Whiskers and was so surprised that he stopped short to 
take another look. As this was the chance Billy had been waiting 
for, he quickly improved it. 


53 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

“How are you?” said he. “Do you mind telling me the name 
of your interesting and lively family? I am a stranger here and 
want to learn all I can. As you see, I am an animal myself and 
have none but the friendliest feeling for all our race.” 

This polite speech won for Billy an answer, as he felt sure it 
would. 

“How do I do?” snapped the caged beast. “I’m most unhappy. 
We are wolves. I, myself, came from the boundless steppes of far- 
away Russia where I and my people for hundreds of years, have been 
went to roam wild and free and far. We are all robbers and live 
by plundering farmers. When quite young, I grew so bold that I 
was finally captured alive while eating a sheep I had killed. After 
endless travels over land and sea, I arrived in a dreadful place called 
New York, and was shortly sold to this show and put into a cage with 
these other wretches and ever since we have been a spectacle to 
crowds of people day after day. I have no words with which to 
tell you, sir goat, how we hate this life.” 

The snarl with which he said these last words was so fierce that 
it made Billy fairly shiver. 

Without waiting for a reply, the big wolf went on: 

“My companions are no less unhappy than I am, though there 
is little in common between us as we have been collected from all 
over. There is no quarter of the globe in which branches of our 

54 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

family do not exist. We never stop trying to find a way to get out, 
and if we ever do, we will make some of these cruel people who 

have come here to look at us 
with never a thought of pity for 
our forlorn condition, wish they 
had stayed at home. There is 
that little rosy-cheeked, brown- 
eyed boy with his mother. He’s 
I about three years old, I guess, just 
the right age to be tender eating. 
How I’d like to get my jaws into his 
throat!” 

The old wolf smiled wickedly as 
he said it. 

Billy looked to 
see whom he 

meant, and to his 
horror saw his 
own little Dick 
holding fast to his 
mother’s hand. 
They had passed 
within a few feet of Billy, but had not seen him. He was thankful 



SS 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

for that because he felt that he could never look a member of the 
Treat family in the face again if he had been caught hobnobbing with 
the great Russian wolf, especially if it ever leaked out what the 
wolf had said. 

Billy’s nerves were so shaken and he felt so sick after hearing 
the dreadful threats the wolf had made that he crept between the 
wheels under the cage and lay down behind the wooden side of the 
cage which was banked against the far wheels. Here he had time 
to recover his composure in peace and pull himself together. 

It was not long, of course, before Billy felt well enough to go 
on. 

Strange to tell, the more he thought of the old wolf’s story, the 
less he blamed him for being so savage. He realized that in pick- 
ing out little Dick as the one on whom he would like to wreak his 
vengeance, he had not known that he was Billy’s dearest friend and 
that Billy had once risked his own life to save him from drowning 
in the old swimming hole, and was more than willing to do so again 
if the necessity ever arose. Finally Billy owned to himself if he had 
been treated as the wolf had been, captured, taken far from home, 
penned up in a narrow cage to be looked at by thousands of people day 
after day, year in and year out, with not the faintest hope or chance 
of escape, he would feel the same way. The very thought of such a 
fate made him quake and wish he had stayed at home. 


56 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

Billy crept out of his hiding-place and slipped quietly past the 
next three or four cages without stopping to ask any questions, fearing 
that the wolves would see him and make an uproar trying to call him 
back to hear more of their sad story and to persuade him to find 
some means for their escape. Billy was always tender-hearted when 
it came to the cases of those in trouble and suffering, and he knew it 
would hurt his feelings to be obliged to disappoint even that pack 
of wolves, thieves and robbers though he knew them to be. 

By just glancing sidewise at the cages he thus passed and ob- 
serving the labels on each he was able to learn the names of the 
animals he felt obliged to skip. They were the North American 
panther or mountain lion, red deer, wild boar, and hyenas. The 
last were such ugly, awkward, unclean and altogether terrifying look- 
ing beasts that Billy did not mind not making their personal ac- 
quaintance, though he would have liked to exchange greetings with 
the beautiful, mild-looking, gentle-acting deer; and to have put 
a question or two to the mountain lion about his diet. He was 
crouched in one corner of his cage and looked for all the world as 
though he were ready to spring upon some victim. 

The cage before which Billy now stopped was marked in big 
gilt letters : 


AFRICAN LION, KING OF BEASTS. 

Somehow this did not please Billy Whiskers. Though he would 


57 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 


not have admitted it, down deep in his heart he thought that he 
himself was probably the king of beasts, and it did not suit him to 
see that another was thus publicly given this proud title. 

“I’ll stop and see what he looks like,” thought Billy. “I don’t 
believe he is so much after all. If I get the chance I’ll make him 
feel small enough.” 

All this time Billy had not been 
able to see the lion on account of 
the crowd of people before 
his cage. At last he squeez- 
ed to the front row and took 
his first look. That 
alone would 
have been quite 
enough to con- 
vince Billy 

he was justly entitled to be called king of beasts, but other proof was 
not lacking, for as soon as the great, shaggy-headed lion saw a goat was 
gazing at him he was so surprised that he let out a terrific roar. 

Even the people were startled and shrank back. As for Billy, 
he would certainly have keeled over in a fit of fright had not the 
legs of the on-lookers crowded against his sides so tight that he was 
held up in spite of himself. His giddiness passed away in a minute 

58 



Billy W'hiskers at the Circus 

or two, but came near overcoming him a second time when he per- 
ceived that the great lion was addressing his remarks to mm. 

In telling the story afterward, Billy could never rememDer ex- 
actly what was said, he was so rattled at the time. 

In spite of the lion’s great voice and savage appearance, Billy 
was surprised to find that his remarks were not unkind so far as he 
was personally concerned, but perfectly shocking about his captivity, 
the sort of life he was obliged to live, the dead meat he nad to eat, 
the people who looked at him and never once remembered the suf- 
fering he daily endured. 

“Little goat,” roared the lion, “I wish I could change places 
with you. Though I am called king of beasts, I would gladly give 
the title and all that goes with it to any free member of the animal 
kingdom, little or big, who will exchange his freedom with my cap- 
tivity. I came from over the sea. My home is in the wild African 
desert where for ages my ancestors have reigned supreme. Bound- 
less was our kingdom and no one there dared to oppose our will. 
My food I got by strength, and stealth, and cunning. Like all my 
race, I scorned to eat that which any other had killed. All went 
well with me and mine until a strange terror crept over the length 
and breadth of our wide domain. I heard the story, and laughed, 
when I heard it, that black men from the coast country were coming 
to the desert to capture the lions, that they had been bidden to do 


59 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

this by the king of the Belgians who in some way had cast an evil 
spell over them so that they had no choice but to obey his will, that 
if they failed of success they were tortured, maimed and even put to 
death. It was said that we lions were valuable and could be sold for 
much gold and that was why we were wanted. 

“But why do I tell you, little goat, all this sad story? Because 
I can see that while you are as afraid as death of me, you are still 
sorry for me and sympathize with me in my awful sufferings. 

“When about a year old, large and strong for my age, I was 
caught in one of the cunning traps set for us. Though my case was a 
hopeless one from the first, when the black men came to take me, I 
fought as I had never fought before. Two of my captors fell, never 
to rise again. With a stroke of my paw I had crushed the skull of 
each. Others of them were frightfully mangled and wounded. But 
it was all of no use. I was brought to America, sold to this show, and 
here I have been ever since.” 

The other things he said Billy Whiskers would never try even 
to repeat. They were too dreadful. His one hope seemed to be that 
he might some day break out of his cage when a great crowd of 
people were before it, spring upon them and kill right and left until 
he should feel that he had paid off the score of all his wrongs and 
sufferings. 

Billy tried to comfort the lion for he was truly sorry for him. 


60 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

He realized what a magnificent beast he was and what a wretched 
life it must be shut up all the time in one little cage. He told him, 
however, that it would be wrong for him to visit his wrath on the 
innocent people who came to admire him if he ever succeeded in 
breaking out, but that he would be justified in dealing with the 
wicked king of the Belgians as he saw fit if he were ever able to get his 
claws on him. 

Billy then sadly said farewell, for although all this conversation 
had taken place in the animal language in much less time than it takes 
to tell it, he now felt that he must hasten on as there was still much 
to see and hear. 

Turning about, Billy discovered that the cage of the big African 
lion was just opposite the place, near the centre of the tent, where 
the elephants were stationed. So Billy went to look at them, hoping 
for more cheerful things than the stories of the wolf and lion. 

What he found the next chapter will tell. 


61 



CHAPTER VI 


THE ELEPHANT'S TRUNK 

IjpppHERE was even a larger crowd standing around the elephants 
than in front of the lions’ cage. It took Billy a minute or two 
to wiggle his way through. While he was doing this as quietly and 
gently as he could, for you can well believe that he was on his good 
behavior, a little thing happened that came near upsetting all his 
calculations and bringing to an untimely end the adventures of this 
red letter day at the Circus. 

Without in the least intending it, he brushed against the skirts 
of a young lady who with her best beau was taking in the sights. 
She glanced down to see what the trouble was and, of course, dis- 
covered our Billy. Not knowing him and being very much excited 
anyway, she jumped to the conclusion that one of the wild beasts had 
escaped and that she was about to be eaten alive. But instead of 
running as you or I would have done, she shut her eyes and gave a 
little squeal and then tumbled over. 

Billy knew that no serious harm had been done and so, instead 
of stopping to lend a helping hand, he took advantage of the com- 
motion to forge ahead and very soon found himself standing close 
to the head of the biggest of all the elephants. 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

Some of my readers know how funny it feels to be right close 
up to one of these great beasts. Billy felt the same way, only more 
so. He didn’t dare to move for fear of attracting attention. The 
thought passed through his mind that, big as he was, he would not 
make more than five or six bites for the monster. He remembered 
again the story that Bob had told him of the way he ran and hid when 
he saw the elephant marching toward him. He no longer despised 
Bob for this and only wished he could do the same thing. 

But bye and bye, as nothing seemed to happen, he began to feel 
better and to take notice. Then it was thgt he first discovered the 
elephant’s great trunk. 

“I declare,” said Billy to himself, “that must be his hitching 
strap, and he is loose too, I believe that I will hold on to it till his 
keeper comes. That will make me all solid with him. There is 
nothing like standing in with the management. Perhaps he will 
give me something to eat for I am getting awfully hungry. I hadn’t 
thought of it before but I am. There has been so much going on all 
day that I have quite neglected my health. I’ll be sick tomorrow 
when I get home if I am not careful, and then Polly Parrot, as likely 
as not, will spread the story all over Cloverleaf Farm that I have been 
off on a spree. She is mean enough to do anything, that bird is!” 

By this time Billy had advanced to the place where the end of 
the elephant’s trunk was dragging on the ground and quick as scat 

he had planted his two feet on it. 

64 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

Poor Billy, he little knew what that bit of mistaken kindness 
to cost him. 



To his utter amazement and horror the supposed hitching strap 



Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

began to curl up and before he knew what was happening, the big 
elephant had him tight around the waist and he was sailing up 
through the air. He had just time to think that he would be dashed 
to pieces the next second when he found himself planted firmly and 
securely right in the middle of the great elephant’s back. 

What a shout went up! How the boys and girls laughed! 
How the people came rushing that way! 

In the midst of all the excitement and din, Billy heard first of all, 
and it seemed to him louder than all, Tom Treat, who yelled at the 
top of his voice : 

“Look, Harry, it’s Billy Whiskers!” 

“Holy smoke!” was all Harry could say in reply, he was so as- 
tonished. 

Though he was greatly confused and didn’t yet know where he 
was or what had really happened, Billy’s first thought was that he 
must get out of sight quick or that he would be a goner. He looked 
about and saw that he was not far from the platform where all the 
freaks were, and that it was the only place he could jump and not 
light right on top of some of the people. 

“It’s the biggest jump I’ve ever tried but I have got to do it 
now and trust to luck. If I once get to that platform, I can scoot 
to the other side of it, drop down behind and hide till all the hubbub 
blows over. Here goes!” 


66 


Billy U^hiskers at the Circus 

With that he suddenly pulled himself together in a sort of a 
bunch and shot straight out into the air right over the heads of a lot 
of astonished people. Tom Treat, when telling his chum, Jack 
Wright, about it next day, said that Billy could not have gone further 
or faster if he had been fired out of a gun. 

Billy imagined that if he were able to reach the platform his 
troubles would all be over, but in this he was sadly mistaken. 

When the freaks, the human skeleton, the hairy man from Bor- 
neo, the giant, the dwarf, the fat lady and all the rest discovered 
Billy on the elephant, they laughed fit to kill and clapped their hands, 
but when they saw him coming right at them through the air like a 
cannon ball, they were scared enough. The fat lady, who thought 
that he must surely hit her, tried to get out of the way all of a sud- 
den. Of course she could hardly move when she wasn’t excited. 
In trying to be quick about it now, she only succeeded in up- 
setting her chair and tumbling over backwards. Down she went 
right through the floor of the flimsy old platform, nearly scraping her 
sides off. Her sudden upset made all the boards of the floor fly up, 
throwing the rest of the freaks every which way, all more or less 
in a heap. 

On top of them all landed Billy Whiskers. Of course he wasn’t 
hurt, and, as good luck would have it, none of the others were, not 
even the fat lady seriously, though she had hysterics and cried and 


67 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

laughed by turns and threw her fat arms, which looked like bologna 
sausages, wildly about and kept calling on the giant to protect her. 
This was after Billy Whiskers, the unwilling cause of all the com- 
motion, had pulled himself safely out of the wreck and had hidden 
completely out of sight in a big empty box which he had luckily found 

on the other side, and 
quite near the scene of 
the great catastrophe. 

“I’ll slip in here and 
'Wait till things quiet 
down a bit,” thought 
Billy. “If I try to get 
out now the whole 
Crowd will be after me. 
Where there is so much 
excitement and so many 
things to see, a little 
Commotion like this 

doesn’t last long.” 

It was while he was waiting for things to subside that he saw 
and heard the queer antics of the fat lady after they had pulled her 
out of the hole she had made in the platform. It seemed to the watch- 
ing and listening Billy that she was more mad than hurt. 



68 



“I’LL GIVE YOU THIS POXY, HARNESS AND WAGON IF YOU’LL LET ME 

HAVE BILLY. ’ ’ 

















































Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

“Where is that horrid goat?” she screamed. “I want to sit 
down on him just once for luck. I’ll teach him to jump at folks like 
that ! There won’t be a grease spot left when I get through with him. 
Why don’t some of you bring him to me?” 

Then she began to laugh and cry and toss her fat arms about. 
All of a sudden she stopped short. 

“Come to me, Don Orsino,” she said to the giant. “I’m going 
to faint and you must hold me.” 

Billy never could believe that he heard correctly what the big 
giant replied, but it sounded to him as though he told her to shut up 
and not be a fool, and that she looked like the old scratch and that 
she had better look out or she’d lose her job. 

Billy was so indignant that any lady should be treated in such a 
manner that he came very near rushing out of his hiding-place and 
going for the giant, big as he was, with fire in his eye and head down. 

“One punch, if he didn’t see me coming, would knock him off 
his perch and teach him some manners. I’ll try it.” 

But just then Billy remembered what the fat lady had said about 
sitting down on him, and how there wouldn’t be a grease spot left 
when she did, and so he thought better of his rash resolve to go to 
her rescue. 

It is fortunate for both him and us that he reconsidered for had 
he not, this story would have come to a sudden and very flat ending. 

69 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

Billy, safely stowed away in the big pine box, had time to think 
matters over and lay a few plans. Presently he began to laugh to 
himself the way the elephant had fixed him. 

“The very idea of calling that long thing, which I now know 
must be his nose, a hitching strap,” whispered Billy to himself. “It’s 
enough to make a dog laugh.” 

You see that Billy did not even yet know that it was the ele- 
phant’s trunk, but called it his nose. 

“I wish the Treat boys hadn’t been there,” Billy went on. “They 
will tell everybody at Cl overleaf Farm how it all happened and 
Polly Parrot at least will never be through laughing at it.” 

Billy needn’t have worried over this for it was many a day before 
he was to see his friends at Cloverleaf Farm again, and when he 
finally returned they were all so glad to see him that nobody, not 
even Polly Parrot, for a long time thought of making fun of him. 

But I am getting away ahead of my story. There are many ad- 
ventures to relate before the memorable home-coming was brought 
to pass. 


7 ® 


CHAPTER VII 


BILLY IN DANGER 

■ ROM his hiding-place in the big box, Billy could look into the 
section of the tent where the performances were now going 
on, could see the clown in his outlandish dress, hear the shouts of 
laughter that followed his remarks, observe the bare-back riding, 
and watch the trapeze performers. 

He had just about made up his mind that it was safe for him 
to start out again when he overheard some talking near at hand that 
caused him not only to pause, but to shrink into the smallest space 
he could in the darkest corner of his hiding-place. 

“What are you looking for, Mike?” he heard someone say in a 
deep voice. 

“That big goat,” was the reply. “Did you see Jumbo put him 
on his back? He’s a beauty. When I saw him make that flying leap 
among the freaks, it popped into my head that we ought to annex him 
to this show. He’ll sure make an attraction.” 

“Do you know I thought the very same thing, and I have been 
looking for him too. It seems to me that he must be hidden in some 
of this rubbish. Have you looked in this big box?” and Mike kicked 
with his foot Billy’s hiding-place. 


7i ! 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 


“No, I will in just a minute. But say, before we go any fur- 
ther let’s settle it that whether you or I find the goat, we will own 
him equally between us. If we decide to 
sell him, we’ll share and share alike.” 

“I’m agreed to that. It’s my guess that 
it will take the two of us to handle 
and train him. I never saw such a 
jump in my born days as he made off 
that elephant’s back. He must 
be as strong as an ox. We’ll 
have to starve him down a bit, 
probably, before he will be 
manageable.” 

“Yes, that’s right. Hurry 
up now and see what’s in that 
box. The old man will be calling us 
in a minute.” 

“I’ll have to go right now,” thought 
Billy, “for I won’t be captured by that 
precious pair of scamps if I can possibly 
help it. As like as not they would want 
to put me in a cage, and I haven’t forgotten what that means if the 
stories of the wolf and the lion can be believed. It’s awfully unlucky, 



72 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

though, for now I am here there are a whole lot of things I want to 
see. The only thing for me to do is the minute one of them stoops 
down to look into this box, to jump at him with all my might, knock 
him flat, and make a bee line just as fast as I can go for the entrance. 
It’s good-bye Circus for me,” sighed Billy, and he prepared for the 
attack. 

For once in this eventful day luck was with him. Just as the 
man called Mike was coming around — Billy could hear him — where 
he could look in at him, someone called and both his pursuers started 
on the double quick to get back to their posts, one saying to the other 
that they would try it again a little later. 

“Saved again!” Billy would have shouted had he dared to make 
any noise, but he didn’t. 

“I must get out of here now as quick as ever I can for they will 
be back in a few minutes. When I am mixed up in the crowd, the 
chances are that they will not find me. Even if they do I will be in 
no worse fix than if caught in this old box. One thing sure, no man 
will ever grab me by the horns again like Farmer Grant did. With 
my head free I am not so easy to catch and hold.” 

With this he crept out of his place of concealment and was soon 
on the other side of the tent, gazing with all his might at the many 
strange animals which the different cages contained. 

He stopped to talk with a number of them, but their stories were 


73 


Billy TVhiskers at the Circus 

all more or less like those of the wolf and the lion. Every one of 
them told Billy that he would be glad to exchange places with him, 
and not a few warned him to fake care and on no account let any of 
the keepers capture him. Whatever else you do, they all agreed, keep 
out of this show for it’s slavery of the very worst kind. 

The royal Bengal tiger, who told Billy that his home was in the 
jungles of India, made him feel more thankful than any of the oth- 
ers that he was free and could go and come when and where he 
pleased. The things which the tiger said were something awful, and 
the savage way he said them made his listener tremble from head to 
foot. He felt a special spite, it seemed, against a keeper named Mike, 
whom he said he would eat alive without a grain of salt if ever he got 
hold of him. 

Billy was sure from the name that this Mike was one of the two 
men who had come so near finding him, and he was more glad than 
before that he had escaped when he learned what a cruel master he 
was. 

It would be very interesting to describe all the animals Billy 
Whiskers saw and tell their stories, but it would take too long and 
doubtless the readers of Billy Whiskers’ life and adventures know 
about them already. If not, they can all be found in the Natural 
History books in the library. 

The bears, probably, interested Billy as much, if not more, than 


74 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

any of the rest. They were very good-natured, especially the young 
ones, and seemed very glad to make his acquaintance. 

Billy, who by this time was beginning to be very hungry indeed, 
told them how hollow he was, and they said that they would soon fix 
him up all right. With that Teddy B. and Teddy G. both began to 
push good things to eat through the bars of their cage that fell to the 
ground where Billy could get at them. There were apples, cakes, 
peanuts and other rich food which people had thrown to the bears 
in great abundance. 

The crowd of onlookers when they saw the Teddy Bears feeding 
the goat thought it a great joke and laughed at the comical sight. 
Billy could hear them saying that they guessed that he was the same 
goat the big elephant had put on his back; others were telling their 
friends how he had jumped at the fat lady, and then someone said 
that he believed that his name must be Billy Whiskers for he had 
heard a couple of fine-looking boys inquiring for a runaway goat by 
that name. And so it came to pass that many people were beginning 
to talk about him, and he felt that he already had good friends in 
the crowd. 

While it made him proud to hear his little masters called fine- 
looking, for he never doubted but that the two boys searching for 
him were Tom and Harry Treat, at the same time it put him on his 
guard, for after going through so much to see the Circus, he didn’t 
propose to be stopped yet awhile. 


75 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

If he had only known what was in store for him later, he would 
have been glad enough to quit then and there. 

“I’ll just take a 
look at the mon- 
keys and then go 
in and watch the 
performers,” re- 
solved Billy. “It 
won’t do not to 
have a good look 
at them, for ever 
since old Mr. 
Coon told me his 
story I have been 
most anxious to 
see what mon- 
keys look like. 
I expect they 
are dreadful or 
the remembrance 
of them could not 



the Coon as it does.” 


affect a tough old sinner like 


76 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

The monkeys’ cage was very large, and was fitted up with all 
sorts of contrivances for exercise. There were a dozen or more mon- 
keys of all sorts and sizes in it, and they were always one of the great- 
est attractions of the whole show and the crowds of people in front 
of it were enormous. 

Billy had no difficulty in locating it and was very soon watching 
the antics of the monkeys with interest. He decided that they were 
the strangest looking animals and about the most ugly he had ever 
seen, but he couldn’t make up his mind why it was the Coon had 
seemed to hate them so much and at the same time to be so afraid of 
them. 

He would learn pretty soon. 

Like everybody else, Billy soon found himself laughing with 
all his might at the funny things the monkeys were doing. They 
never seemed to stop for a minute, and around and around they went, 
always cutting up some new caper, doing something that nobody 
expected. 

“The looks of that old blue-nosed Mandrill is surely enough 
to make a dog laugh,” said giggling Billy, using his favorite ex- 
pression. 

Just about this time, two or three of the monkeys spied Billy 
looking and laughing. 

“It’s that goat,” said one, “who made such a smash-up in the 


77 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

freak depot when he jumped off the elephant’s back. I haven’t 
laughed so hard in a month of Sundays. I wonder if we can’t make 
his acquaintance. I think anybody who can tip over that fat lady is 
worth knowing. Ask him, Colonel Mandrill, to come up closer 
where we can talk to him.” 

And so Colonel Mandrill did as he was requested and politely 
invited Billy to draw near. 

At first Billy was shy, but he could see no possible danger, and 
the whole group looked so good-natured and jolly that with only a 
moment’s delay he stepped quite close to the door of the cage where 
the space between the wires was a little greater than elsewhere. 

The monkeys began by asking all about who he was, where he 
came from, scarcely giving him any chance to reply. Then they told 
him, all talking at once, how pleased they were that he had made such 
a confusion among the freaks and how tickled they had been to see 
the fat lady, who it seems never had a pleasant word for any of them, 
going through the floor. 

They began now in whispers to ask Billy if he could not get 
them out of their cage and to tell him how everlasting sick they were 
of being shut up. 

Billy drew nearer so that he could hear better and just started 
explaining how impossible it was for him to do anything for them 
when, without warning and as quick as a flash, the old blue-faced 

78 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

Mandrill monkey or baboon reached out a long gray arm and 
grabbed Billy firmly by his proud whiskers. 

“You’ll either get us out of here or we’ll pull you in,” said he. 


CHAPTER VIII 


CHOSEN LEADER 


UIT that,” shouted Billy, as he pulled and jerked, trying to 
break away from the grip that held him fast. 

“No, you don’t,” said old Blue Nose. “I’ve got you now and 
I say to you again, either you get us out of here or in you come if I 
have to pull you to pieces.” 

“Give me time to think a minute,” replied Billy, supposing that 
someone would come to his rescue when it was seen what a tight box 
he was in. 

But the crowd only laughed, not perceiving how serious the sit- 
uation really was and regarding it a great joke that the sly old mon- 
key had succeeded in capturing so neatly the now famous goat. It 
happened that none of the keepers were near at the time or they would 
have known by past experience that Billy Whiskers was now in great 
danger of his life. 

“I’ll give you just one minute to make up your mind whether 
or not you care to accept my terms,” now replied Billy’s terrible cap- 
tor. “If you free us from our prison, we will make you our leader 
and follow you wherever you go,” went on the monkey. 

81 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

“I don’t want to be your leader, dear Colonel Mandrill. I am 
not fitted for so distinguished an honor.” 

It was all that Billy could do to make this polite speech. His 
voice, in spite of his best effort to control it, shook as though he were 
having a chill. 

“You waste good time in talking such nonsense. In half a min- 
ute more you will begin to come between the bars of this cage. By 
the time you are all in, you’ll look as flat as a pancake for the space 
is narrow, but I am strong.” With that heartless remark he gave 
Billy’s head a jerk that seemed as though it would break his neck. 

Billy Whiskers took a look at the monkey, saw that the th,in 
gaunt arm which held him was all muscle, as strong as steel. In a 
flash it came to him why the old Coon who lived in the big chestnut 
at home held the whole monkey tribe in such dread. 

“My only chance,” thought Billy, is to break away from him, 
even if I lose all my whiskers in doing it.” 

With that, he began to pull back with all bis might, throwing 
his head up and down, right and left. The strain on his long beard 
was more painful than having teeth pulled out, but there was no 
help for it. He squirmed and wiggled and twisted. It all did no 
good. The strong hand and arm that held him never relaxed. The 
long, white, luxuriant beard, once Billy’s pride and joy but now his 
greatest enemy, did not give way. 


82 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

He felt that his head was being pulled nearer and nearer the 
fatal bars. Now his nose touched the iron, and his fore feet were no 
longer on the ground. Billy closed his eyes, throwing his head up 
once more, not in the hope of breaking loose — he had given that up 
— but in utter despair. It saved him. In some way, Billy could never 
afterward explain how, one of his horns caught under the pin with 
which the door was fastened and as he raised his head for the last 
time this pin was dislodged and fell to the ground. 

Billy’s captor was braced against the door at the time, the better 
to drag him in, so that when the fastening gave way the door flew 
open in a hurry and out popped the blue-nosed Mandrill, followed 
closely by all the other monkeys. 

Billy now tried, of course, to get away for he had quite enough 
of the monkey tribe by this time, but they wouldn’t have it that way. 
In two seconds they were all around him. Billy Whiskers had set 
them free and it was plain to be seen that he was the one of all others 
to tie to now. 

As soon as the monkeys came piling out of their cage, the people 
who were looking on scattered right and left. They made a great 
commotion but nobody paid much attention. This clearing of the 
space gave just the opportunity that was wanted to organize and 
make a few plans. It took far less time than it does to tell it. In a 
minute the decision had been reached to give the performance of 

85 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

the afternoon, and so they moved, in a compact body with Billy 
Whiskers in the center, toward the great ring, everybody getting 
quickly out of their way without being asked. 

At the sudden and unexpected appearance of Billy Whiskers 
and the monkeys in the midst of the great amphitheatre, packed with 
people, a great shout went up. Such a welcome was never given the 
most skilled performer or even to the most popular clown. 

The reception tendered to the newcomers by the performers and 
clown who were busy at the time of their coming with their different 
parts was in marked contrast to that of the audience. 

They were apparently frightened out of their wits and every 
one of them took to his heels, leaving the ring in the possession of 
the strangest group that, up to that time, had ever been seen at any 
circus, though it became a common sight afterward for the fashion 
of a new departure in circus performing was now being thus strangely 
set. 

Without pausing, the monkeys took up the work of entertaining 
the people. It was found afterward, on inquiry, that they had learned 
their parts by being able to watch the acting day after day from their 
cage. 

Some of them mounted the trapeze and gave an exhibition of 
daring climbing, swinging, jumping, tight rope walking such as had 
never before been seen. Others leaped upon the horses which were 


86 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 


in the ring on their arrival, and dashed around helter skelter, jumping 
through rings, leaping from one horse to another while going at 
breakneck speed. 

The audience, of course, at a sight so novel 
and comical went nearly mad with delight. It 
was an occasion never forgotten by those 
present, the beginning of a boom for the 
whole show that made its owners rich 
men, for from 
that day the 
crowds which 
came were 
bigger than 
ever before. 
It was not 
long before it was 
necessary to 
i n t ro d u c e 
three big 
rings in order 
that the vast 

audiences might be accommodated. 

Billy Whiskers certainly had no idea what the result would be 



Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

when he, as he afterward expressed it, let loose that box of monkeys. 
Even when they forced him to go into the ring, calling him their 
leader, his only thought was to find some way to shake the whole 
caboodle of them and make his escape. 

But he no sooner perceived the shouts of the people, the hand 
clapping, the waving hats and handkerchiefs, saw Mr. and Mrs. 
Treat with Tom, Dick and Harry on the third row of seats not far 
from the main entrance, and last, but not least to his delight, Terrence 
Bull Pup peering enviously at him, his eyes fairly green with jeal- 
ousy, from a humble position under one of the front seats to which he 
had evidently sneaked entirely unnoticed, than he recognized his op- 
portunity to make himself famous and resolved to make the most 
of it. 

The old love of excitement, adventure and mischief burned in 
his heart once more as it had not done for a long, long time. He 
forgot his rage at old Blue Nose Mandrill who was now dashing 
around the ring in a most harum-scarum fashion on the beautiful 
white Arabian steed which had been deserted by his regular rider 
on the first appearance of Billy Whiskers and his troupe, forgot how 
cruelly the old sinner had pulled his beard and threatened to make 
him as flat as a pancake by yanking him through the close set bars of 
his cage. He thought only of the fact that by strange chance he was 
the acknowledged leader of these bold acrobats who were taking 
a great audience by storm. 


88 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

“Whatever may come of it,” said Billy, talking to himself of 
course, “now is my chance and I’ll improve it. These monkeys know 

\ what they are doing and if they 
want me to be their leader, I 
iwlill. It won’t do to be too 
easy with them. They 
have undertaken to amuse 
this great audience which 
seems pleased with their 
efforts and it’s my part to 
keep them at it and up to 
the mark. No shirking 
now.” 

Whereupon our Billy step- 
ped proudly into the center of 
the ring. A little while 
before he had felt tired 
and was beginning to look 
bedraggled, especially af- 
ter his trying experience 
with Colonel Mandrill, 
but there were no signs of anything of the sort now. The Treat 
boys thought that they had never seen him look so handsome. Ter- 



Billy JVhiskers at the Circus 

rence Bull Pup wished as he had never wished anything before in 
his life that he had not written that snubbing letter to so famous a 
personage. 

“Just think,” he growled, “I might 
be sharing his glory with him if I had 
had more sense and decency.” 

No clown ever took the 
fancy of a crowd as Billy 
Whiskers did now. He 
bowed and bowed in every 
direction in recognition, as 
it seemed, of the great ap- 
plause that greeted his 
own efforts and those of 
his troupe to please the audience. 

If any of the monkeys tried to take a rest 
Billy was down on him in a minute, 
sending him aloft or making him go on 
with his hair-raising riding. Old Blue 
Nose, who was completely winded, fair- 
ly begged and plead for a breathing spell, but his leader wouldn’t 
hear to it but made him mount his white Arabian and go on with his 
trick work. 




90 


Billy JVhiskers at the Circus 

For fully ten minutes, while the others were performing, Billy 
did not give any exhibition of his own high jumping. 

“I’ll save that to the last,” he thought. His whole time and 
attention were occupied in keeping the others going and in acknowl- 
edging the plaudits of the audience. Finally he jumped over the 
back of one of the ponies, then over that of one of the smaller horses. 

“I must try the big black stallion,” said Billy. “If I succeed, 
we will clear out for we do not want to run this business into the 
ground. My. that will be the whale of a jump ! I never saw such 
a big horse in my life. It won’t do for me to fall down now. These 
ungrateful monkeys would depose me, the Treat family would feel 
disgraced, and that snooping Terrence Bull Pup would be tickled to 
death. Here goes!” 

Just as he said that, the great black stallion came galloping by. 

“He will never make it,” shouted the excited and breathless 
crowd, for it was plain to be seen what Billy was planning to do. 

He jumped high and true, but the spectators were right for 
he did not succeed in going over but lighted fair and square right on 
the big black’s back instead. 

Nobody but Billy ever knew that he had failed of his purpose. 
It looked as though it had been his intention right along to be borne 
out of the ring in this proud fashion. Even his band of monkeys 
thought so. 


9i 


Billy IV his her s at the Circus 

The big horse dashed once around the ring with triumphant 
Billy on his back bowing his acknowledgements on all sides, and 
then down the alley where the performers made their regular exit. 

The monkeys, seeing their leader departing, without waiting to 
be called, followed in quick pursuit. 

What happened then will have to be reserved for our next chap- 
ter. 



92 


4 


CHAPTER IX 

BILLY WHISKERS JOINS THE CIRCUS 

the show manager saw all the performers and even the 
m come running out of the ring right in the midst of 
their fourth act, he was naturally very greatly surprised and excited. 

He thought that they had all gone crazy and flew around like 
a hen with her head off trying to make them return and go on with 
their work. 

At last one of them, more composed than the others, made him 
understand that something very unusual had happened and that they 
did not dare go back into the ring. 

“Look and see for yourself if you can’t believe me,” he finally 

said. 

So the frantic manager pulled aside the tent flap just in time 
to be greeted by the shouts and cheers that the great audience gave 
to Billy Whiskers and the monkeys when they saw the astonishing 
feats they were performing, as though they were all trained to the 
business. 

“That beats me hollow,” fairly stuttered the flabbergasted man- 
ager. “I can’t understand it at all, but I hope I know a good thing 



93 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

when I see it, and I’m no judge if this doesn’t prove the greatest 
feature and biggest drawing card the show ever had. The trouble 
will be to keep them at it right along. Those monkeys,” you could see 
he didn’t like the monkeys from 
the way he spoke, “are about as 
much to be depended upon as the 
east wind. That big goat 
seems to make them toe the 
mark. I wonder where he 
came from and who owns him? 

There is one thing certain, this 
show from now on has just got to 
have him at any price.” 

The manager, having satisfied himself 
with the way things were going in the 
ring, hustled back to make suitable prep - 
arations to receive Billy and his followers 
when they had finished their performance and 
out, for he had no doubt but that they would with- 
draw in the same manner as regular actors ; and in this, as we already 
know, he was quite right. 

The keepers and handy men were summoned from all sides to be 
ready to assist if any attempt at escape should be made. The best 




94 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

meal obtainable was hastily collected and temptingly spread out, and 
everything possible done to provide for the comfort of the new per- 
formers and to show how greatly pleased the manager was at their 
most successful efforts to entertain his audience. He very shrewdly 
thought that by this means he could induce them to repeat their act 
the next day and for many succeeding days. 

It is a question whether or not Billy Whiskers and the monkeys 
would have peaceably accepted these terms, but when they finally got 
outside the ring they were all so tired from their unusual exertions 
that they had no spunk left to go on of themselves, much less to 
resist the inviting conditions which they found waiting for them. 

As the goat and monkeys had put in their unexpected appearance 
at the beginning of the last act of the afternoon’s performance, when 
they withdrew from the ring, the audience, after a great deal of 
cheering and repeated bursts of hand-clapping, began to slowly dis- 
perse. 

The Treat family then held a council of war to decide how they 
could best lay hold of their property, Billy Whiskers, and get him 
safely back to Cloverleaf Farm. Though not one of them said so, 
there was fear in the heart of each that this would be no easy job. 

While they felt sure of Billy’s love for them, especially for little 
Dick, they had just seen him in a new and most unexpected role, and 
the older members of the family now more than suspected that there 


95 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

were incidents in Billy’s earlier history that they had not even guessed 
at. They now knew, in fact, that sometime, somewhere, he had been 
accustomed to a prominent and public position, that he must have 
seen a very great deal of the world for otherwise he could not possibly 
have fallen so naturally and gracefully into the trying position of 
clown and trick performer when so many thousands of eyes were 
looking right at him. 

More than that, there was the unspoken fear that the Circus peo- 
ple might be unwilling to give up a goat who had proven himself 
such a wonder and had been the means of making the audience the 
most enthusiastic which had ever been in the great tent. They might 
hide him and claim that he had disappeared as mysteriously as he 
had come, or they might say that he was not Mr. Treat’s property and 
refuse to give him up, or they might try to buy him. 

Finally the monkeys had to be considered. It was evident they 
regarded Billy Whiskers, whether he liked it or not, as their leader, 
and there was no telling what sort of trouble they might make if an 
attempt was made to take him away from them. 

It was finally decided that the best thing to do, and in fact the 
only course open, was for the family to stick together and go in pur- 
suit of Billy by way of the exit through which he had disappeared on 
the back of the great black horse. 

Very soon therefore, the jubilant manager of the show was con- 


96 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 


fronted by Mr. and Mrs. Treat with Tom, Dick and Harry at their 
heels. 

“We’ve come to claim our property,” began Mr. Treat. 

“Yes, Billy Whiskers, he’s my goat,” piped little Dick. 

As soon as he heard that voice, Billy Whis- 
kers who was resting near by, 
though he had not been seen, 
jumped up and rushed to greet 
his master. He was so pleased 
to see the family that he quite 
forgot that he was probably in 
disgrace for having run 
away and gave every sign of 
his great regard for them. 
From Billy’s actions it 
was so plain to be seen 
that Mr. Treat was 
speaking the truth when he 
claimed him for his property 
that the Circus man, whatever 
he might have planned to do 
before, did not have the face to question his word. At the same time 
he had no intention of surrendering Billy. As the boys were just as 



97 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

strongly of the opinion that they would not give up their favorite 
playmate, it looked for a time as though there would be a deadlock. 

But the manager was very cute and he knew by long experience 
how to manage people both big and little. Had he not spent long 
years in learning how to amuse and please them? 

He did not begin by calling Billy Whiskers a good-for-nothing 
old goat not worth his salt. No, he said that he was a fine animal, 
the most splendid specimen of goathood he had ever seen. This 
greatly pleased his owners for they thought the same way about Billy. 
Then Mr. Circusman went on to say how fond he already was of him 
and how kind he would be to him if he was his property. And so 
by easy stages he led up to the plan he had to propose. 

He said that he had no idea that they would think of selling the 
goat and that he had no thought of trying to buy him, that he would 
almost as soon think of trying to buy little Dick himself, but that he 
hoped that they would consider allowing Billy to travel with him for 
the rest of the season. If they would agree to this Billy would not 
only be given the best care in every way, but that he would pay very 
handsomely for the use of him besides. 

Mr. Treat asked his wife and the boys what they thought of the 
plan. While Mrs. Treat, who, you will remember, had always been 
a little suspicious of Billy, seemed quite willing to consider it and 
wanted to know what Mr. Circusman meant by “paying handsomely” 
for Billy, the boys took an altogether different view of the case. 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

Both Tom and Harry said that they did not want to part with 
Billy at any price even if it was not for keeps, while Dick set up a 
perfect ki-yi at the very thought. 

“If I can once get the boys on my side it will be all right,” 
thought the manager. He turned to one of his men standing near and 
told him to go quick and bring the chestnut pony hitched to his wag- 
onette, but he didn’t say what he wanted of this gay little turn-out. 
The man shortly returned and with him was the chestnut pony. 

“Say, Dick, I’ll give you this pony, harness, wagon and all if you 
will let me take Billy Whiskers.” 

Dick, however much he loved Billy, could not resist an offer 
like this. He had seen this very pony, harnessed as he now stood 
before him, in the parade earlier in the day, and he had thought at 
the time if he only owned a rig like that he would be the happiest boy 
in the world, but it never entered his head that by any possibility he 
might have this wish come true. 

When the manager saw by Dick’s smiling face that he was all 
right with him, he turned to Tom and Harry and asked them whai 
they wanted for their share of Billy Whiskers for the rest of the 
season. 

Tom replied promptly that he wanted a gun and Harry said that 
he did too. 

This rather startled Mr. Circusman for it did not seem to him 


99 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

that the boys were big enough to handle a gun safely and he expected 
that he was going to have trouble in fixing it up with them. He 
talked the matter over with Mr. Treat and soon found that he did not 
object to the guns. 

It appeared that both boys were very fond of hunting already 
and had more than once been caught out with their father’s old 
muzzle-loading rifle, which was known to be dangerous. Being told 
not to do this and even punishments failed to put a stop to the prac- 
tice. For this reason, doubtless, Mr. Treat welcomed this chance of 
getting guns of safest make and best fitted for the hunting small boys 
found in the woods near Cloverleaf Farm. 

The manager of the Circus, therefore, gave Mr. Treat the money 
with which to buy two good guns, one for Tom and one for Harry, 
with a handsome sum beside which he said Mr. and Mrs. Treat 
were to use in getting themselves a remembrance of this day at the 
Circus. 

After these arrangements had been made the saddest part of the 
whole business took place, namely, bidding Billy Whiskers good- 
bye. Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Treat did this without much fuss. 
Tom and Harry were so excited about the guns which were to be 
bought before they started for home and were so anxious to get to the 
gun store that they came near overlooking the fact but for Billy there 
would have been no guns to buy. But when they remembered this 
they were really grateful and expressed their regret at parting from 


roo 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

their old playfellow so feelingly that before they knew it all three 
of them were in tears. 

By far the most touching good-bye was that of little Dick. He 
and Billy had been the greatest friends from the first. The big goat 
had drawn the red wagon with Dick aboard ever since the little chap 
was big enough to sit up. Never once had he run away with him or 
spilled him out. More than that, Billy Whiskers and Bob had saved 
Dick from drowning, as you remember, when he tumbled off the 
bank into the swimming hole down by the wood lot. So when Dick 
came to say farewell to Billy it seemed as though he could not let him 
go, and the manager was really afraid that Dick would back out of 
his bargain or, what was worse, that Billy Whiskers would refuse to 
stay behind his little master. But finally Mrs. Treat took matters 
in hand and soon effected a parting. 

Tom, Dick and Harry climbed into the wagonette behind the 
beautiful chestnut pony, now Dick’s property, and drove away to the 
gun store where Mr. Treat promised to meet them and buy the new 
guns. 

Billy Whiskers’ friends at Cloverleaf Farm were astonished that 
evening when the boys drove into the yard in their gay rig drawn by 
the beautiful pony. They looked in vain for Billy Whiskers. 

“I’m going to see what this means at once,” said Abbie, the black 
cat, who, in spite of the fact that she had swelled her tail, hunched up 


103 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

her back and scolded when Billy had asked her about the Circus, was 
at heart very fond of him. She now displayed such gentle manners, 
purred so softly and asked questions in such a winning way that she 
soon had the whole story from the pony and lost no time in telling it. 

The friends of Billy Whiskers held a meeting that same evening 
in which each one told of his very high esteem of him. Afterward 
resolutions of respect were unanimously passed by a standing vote. 

They all acted as though they never expected to see Billy again. 
If this was their idea, they were never more mistaken in their lives. 


104 


















* 





HE RODE ON THE BACK OF JUMBO, THE GREAT ELEPHANT. 



CHAPTER X 


THE KIDNAPPERS FOILED 

FTER hisfriends from Cloverleaf Farm left him, Billy Whis- 
kers lay down to rest and think matters over. The monkeys, 
who had been keeping a sharp eye on him all the time, formed in a 
ring around him. They had no idea of letting the friend who had 
opened the door of their cage, and whom they had chosen their 
leader on the spot get away from them now. 

When it looked as though the Treat family might take him back 
to Cloverleaf Farm, they had quickly decided among themselves that 
if he went they would go too. This, of course, would have led to 
no end of trouble and confusion. Just imagine what would have 
happened if Billy had returned with such a drab following as that. 

At first Billy Whiskers thought that he never could go to sleep 
with the monkeys all about him. He was not used to them yet and 
still thought that they were the ugliest looking creatures in the world. 
He didn’t want to hurt their feelings by asking them to go away and 
give him a little peace. It would never do to off«nd them now, he 
thought, so he just shut his eyes, and as he had a great deal to think 
over, soon forgot all about them. 



Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

“Well, this certainly has been a great day, so far,” said Billy to 
himself. It seemed a very long time since he had stolen away from 
home in the early morning, and he ran over quickly in his mind the 
events that finally culminated in his unexpectedly finding himself at 
the head of a troupe of amazing acrobatic performers, taking a lead- 
ing part in the performance of one of the greatest shows on earth. 

“And where am I now?” went on Billy, still talking to himself. 
“I hardly know yet. The manager evidently thinks because he gave 
Dick that pony and treated the rest of the family so handsomely that 
I am his property for the rest of the summer. May be I am and may 
be I am not. It all depends how I am served and whether or no I 
like the business on better acquaintance with it. I’ll try it for awhile 
at any rate. It looks to me now as though I might have a lot of fun 
out of it. I have been living pretty quietly at Cloverleaf for a long 
time, and I suspect that I am getting rusty and beginning to look more 
or less like a farmer. I’m too young for that yet awhile. 

“This position will give me a chance to see no end of new places. 
I can get well acquainted with all the animals, and perhaps I can do 
something to make their lives pleasanter — I will if I can, but I must 
be careful never to go as close to any of their cages as I did to the 
monkeys’ this afternoon. What if it had been the lion’s cage instead, 
there would be no Billy Whiskers here now.” 

The very thought of it made him tremble all over. 


106 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

“And then there is the big elephant. I wonder what he thinks 
of me now. I hope he saw me in the ring and knows that I really 


do amount to 
something. If 
not, he must sup- 
pose I am a dunce 
for having 
thought his trunk 
a hitching strap,” 
and Billy giggled 
to himself again 
at the very re- 
membrance 
of that mistake. 

With pleasant 
thoughts and 
plans like these 
Billy Whiskers 
finally fell asleep. 

It did not seem 
to him that he had 
much more than 
closed his eyes when he was aroused by one of the keepers who said to 



107 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

his helper that it was time to prepare the big goat for the evening per- 
formance, that the manager had said that he was to be given a bath. 

At first Billy was far from pleased at being disturbed. He was 
still sleepy, and he felt that about the last thing he wanted then was 
a bath. 

Just at that moment he happened to glance at his right side and 
saw how gray with dust he was. He knew too by past experiences 
how much good a bath would do him. It was worth more than a 
night’s rest, he had often said. More than that, Billy was very proud 
of his appearance, as we all know, and he now felt not a little ashamed 
that he had been seen in the ring in the afternoon in such an unkempt 
condition. 

“If they call me handsome with all this dirt on me, what will 
they think when I am spick and span?” 

So Billy decided to make no trouble, but to submit to the bath 
without a rumpus. 

It was lucky he did for otherwise he would have been kid- 
napped and there is no telling what might have become of him. 

This is the way that it happened. Billy thought that the voice 
of the man who awakened him sounded familiar but he couldn’t re- 
member at the time where he had heard it before. When his helper 
called him Mike he knew in a minute when and where. This was the 
very same man who had been looking for him when he was hiding 

108 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

in the big pine box after creating such a disturbance by jumping off 
Jumbo’s back onto the freaks’ platform. 

Not thinking that Billy Whiskers knew enough to understand 
what they were saying, they talked freely and made their plans while 
his bath was in progress. 

“You were right, Mike, in thinking this big goat a very valuable 
piece of property,” said Jim, for that was the helper’s name. “I only 
wish we had found him.” 

“Yes, if we had, and could have hidden him away for a day or 
two, we could have sold him to the manager for a big pile of money.” 

“Just think of the fun we would have had with three or four 
hundred dollars apiece! That pony with his gold-plated harness 
and the dandy wagon that the old man gave the little fellow must 
have cost all of that, to say nothing of the price of the two guns and 
the wad of money for the owner and his wife. It’s a sorry day for 
us when we let this goat slip through our fingers. It almost seems 
as though he was our property now.” 

Mike thought hard for several minutes before answering. A 
wicked scheme was shaping itself in his mind. 

“You are right, Jim, he is our property, and if you will help me, 
we’ll have him yet. I’ve thought it all out. It is plain to be seen 
that the old man, as you call the manager, expects you and me to take 
care of his nibs here and that will give us just the chance we need. 


109 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

We won’t lose any time about it either, for it will be easier to get 
away with him now than later. 

“Tonight, when we come to load up, instead of putting Billy 
Whiskers in a car, we’ll nail him up in a box and leave him on the 
station platform. You and I will stay behind with him. As soon as 
the train pulls out, we’ll take him and start in the other direction. 
Later on we can decide what is best to do. Either we can start a 
show of our own with Billy Whiskers as the main attraction, or we 
can take him to Ringling Brothers and get our own price for him.” 

“All right,” said Jim, “I’m with you. It looks good to me. We 
are both of us sick of this old show anyway. The Ringlings will hear 
about the goat and monkey act and have to put something on to match 
it. It’s lucky for us that they are no further away than Dayton. My 
idea is that we had better sell the goat and skip to New York or 
Chicago as soon as we can. There is sure to be a row when he is 
missed. I don’t believe these monkeys will act for cold beans when 
their leader is gone.” 

“You be around handy tonight to help me box his goatship. He’ll 
probably make no trouble for it’s all new to him, but whether he 
does or not, he’s got to do as we want and it will be best for us to 
work together.” 

“Just look at him nowl He is a beauty. I wouldn’t believe that 
soap and water could make such a change in him.” 


no 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

“Yes, and wait until I have combed out his hair and beard and 
polished his horns,” said the now enthusiastic Jim. “Ringlings will 
give a thousand dollars for this goat, or I miss my guess.” 

As Mike and Jim now felt that every good point and new beauty 
they found in Billy Whiskers meant just so much more money in their 
pockets, you can well see why they took so much trouble to make him 
look his best. 

In the meanwhile Billy Whiskers was considering the new dan- 
ger that now confronted him. For several very good reasons he had 
no intentions of letting Mike and Jim get away with him. 

To begin with, he didn’t like either of them. More than that, 
the Circus manager had paid his friends of Cloverleaf Farm a hand- 
some sum for allowing Billy to stay with him, and finally, he felt 
sure of rich food, kind treatment, constant excitement, growing fame 
and a return to his old home at the end of the season. To be sure, 
on the other hand, the association with the monkeys was not much 
to his liking, but as they felt very grateful to him and were evidently 
kindly disposed, Billy knew that he had the upper hands of them and 
he felt that as long as that situation lasted he could stand it. 

“I’ll do this,” decided Billy. “When it comes time to go, I will 
make these monkeys insist that I ride with them in their cage. In 
the meantime I will tell them all about the danger that threatens me 
and fix it up with them that when Mike and Jim try to get me away 


hi 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

they are all to pitch on to that precious pair of thieves and give them 
a lesson that they will not soon forget.” 

Billy laughed softly to himself as he thought of the trouble he 
had cooked for his enemies. 

There was an hour or more before it came time for Billy and his 
band to repeat the performance of the afternoon. He improved it 
by telling Colonel Blue Nose Mandrill and the rest of the scheme 
that had been hatched to kidnap him, and you can easily believe that 
he had no trouble in getting the monkeys to agree to his plan to thwart 
it. In fact, Billy had to specially caution them not to go too far. 
Colonel Mandrill said right away that he would fix at least one of 
them so that he would never try to steal one of his friends again, 
while the rest declared that they would see to it that the other did 
not escape. They all looked so fierce that Billy thought once more 
of old Mr. Coon’s horror of monkeys, and remembered how he felt 
when old Blue Nose had him by the neck and beard and threatened 
to pull him into his cage even if he was smashed into a pulp in the 
process. 

“Don’t kill them,” said Billy, in a hurry. “But you may scare 
them out of their wits. They deserve it.” 

“I’ll see how I feel at the time,” muttered Colonel Mandrill, 
and Billy couldn’t get any more of a promise out of him than that. 
All the rest, however, promised not to go too far. 


1 12 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

By this time the moment had arrived for Billy and the monkeys 
to go into the ring. 

People who had been present in the afternoon had spread the 
news of the astonishing last act. Many of them had returned to see 
it a second time, and there was a vast crowd all told, very many of 
whom were interested chiefly in it. Under such circumstances, it is 
needless to say that the appearance of the goat and his monkeys was 
greeted by deafening bursts of applause. 

Billy, after his bath, both looked aad felt fine. The monkeys, 
too, were rested and glad of an opportunity to repeat, with variations, 
the feats of the afternoon. 

The manager, who had been feeling very nervous for fear that his 
new performers could not be depended upon, was vastly relieved at 
the way the act started off, and his smiling face soon told how pleased 
he was to find that his fears were groundless. 

At the end of fifteen minutes, out came Billy on the back of the 
big black charger followed by his weary and panting but none the 
less happy band. The monkeys did not seem to object in the least to 
the fact that Billy worked them almost to death. 

If the crowd of spectators had been enthusiastic in the afternoon, 
they were vociferous in their applause in the evening. Such cheer- 
ing and hand-clapping had never been heard in the big tent before. 

“It means,” said the manager, talking the matter over with the 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

treasurer, “that this will be the biggest money-making season this 
show has ever known. Now is the time for us both to ask for a good 
big increase in our pay.” No wonder he was pleased. 

Soon all was noise, bustle and confusion. The time had come to 
pack up and get aboard the train preparatory to going to the next 
city. 

The question where and with whom Billy Whiskers was to 
ride soon came up for settlement. As he had expected, Mike and 
Jim were told to take care of him and see to it that he had the best 
of everything. 

“We’ll put him in a big box by himself for tonight,” proposed 
Mike, “and after this a place can be fixed for him in the car with the 
Shetland ponies.” 

“All right,” returned the manager, “but take care that he goes 
through in good shape. I wouldn’t take ten thousand dollars for that 
goat right now. He’ll be worth ten times that money to this show 
before the end of the season.” 

Billy, who was keenly watching, saw Mike wink at J im when this 
was said. It made him anxious for he knew it would make them more 
determined to steal him than ever. During the excitement of the 
performance, he had forgotten all about their scheme, but now it came 
back to him in a hurry and he wondered if he had been wise in trust- 
ing his personal safety altogether to Colonel Mandrill and his family. 


Billy H^hiskers at the Circus 

“W ell, it’s too late now to make any new plans,” thought Billy. 
‘If the monkeys can’t save me, I’m lost to this show. But if Mike 

and Jim think that they can do 
as they please with me, even if 
they succeed in boxing me up 
and leaving me on the depot 
platform, they are mightily mis- 
taken. I’ll show them a thing or two 
that they don’t seem to know. For 
a penny, I’d start in right now. It 
seems just as though 

* it would feel good 
— \ 

i \ and rest my head to 
^ butt into big Mike.” 
r But he thought bet- 
ter of it and resolved 
to wait. 

By this time the 
monkeys’ big cage 
was standing ready 
for them to get into 
it, but not one of them showed any 
disposition to take the hint. Mike and Jim, who were given charge 



Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

of them also, coaxed and coaxed in vain. Finally one of them 
caught Tittlebat Titmouse — that was the big name of the smallest 
monkey — and put him inside though he resisted with all his tiny 
might. But he wouldn’t stay put. Out he popped as soon as the 
hand that held him let him go. 

Finally Billy Whiskers jumped in and all the rest followed. 

This delay made the monkey cage the last of all to get started. 
There was need to hurry. So Mike and Jim decided that they would 
put off boxing Billy up until they reached the station. They felt sure 
that there would be a chance in the darkness and confusion that there 
always was when loading the cars. The box they planned to put 
him in was carried to the train on the top of the big cage. Jim drove 
to the darkest and most out-of-the-way place he could that they might 
the less likely be interrupted in carrying out their wicked scheme. 

Pretty soon after the wagon came to a halt, Mike appeared at 
the door of the cage. At first he called Billy Whiskers softly, and 
seemed greatly pleased to find him laying right by the cage door. 

“It makes it just as easy as can be,” Billy heard him say. “You 
open the door, Jim, and I will yank him out. Shut and lock it as 
quick as ever you can and then help me, for I may need it.” 

“You may indeed,” thought Billy. He could just make out to 
see that his friends, the monkeys, were wide awake and ready to do 
the parts agreed upon. 

116 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

The bolt was softly withdrawn and the cage door swung noise- 
lessly open. Mike’s great arm followed by his head and shoulders 
were thrust inside the cage. Billy felt himself firmly grasped about 
the waist and in another second he would have been dragged out and 
on the ground, but just in the nick of season the long thin arm of 
Colonel Mandrill shot out once more, but this time it grasped not 
Billy Whiskers but the neck of Mike, the keeper. We already know 
from Billy Whiskers’ former experience the terrible strength of old 
Blue Nose’s right arm. Mike was learning it now. He let go Billy 
and pulled and tore at the thing that was tightening about his throat. 
He would have called to Jim but could make no sound. He tried to 
pull away but all in vain. 

Jim, of course, very soon discovered that there was something 
wrong. He crowded in by the side of Mike to find out what it might 
be. Quicker than it takes to tell it, a dozen lean arms, big and little, 
had grabbed him wherever they could lay hold, and in two seconds 
he was as helpless as Mike. 

Billy did not try to interfere for a minute or two. Then he took 
matters in hand. He commanded Colonel Blue Nose to let go, but 
he did not obey. He ordered the other monkeys to drop Jim, but 
they followed old Blue Nose’s bad example. 

Billy was now frightened for the lives of the two men. He 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

didn’t want to be responsible for their deaths in such a dreadful way. 
He reminded the monkeys that they had chosen him their leader and 
once more ordered them to give over their prey. At this Colonel 
Mandrill reluctantly obeyed and Mike dropped limp and insensible 
at the side of the cage. The others followed the example of old Blue 
Nose and Jim fell by the side of his pal in no better condition. 

Billy and the monkeys might now have made their escape. They 
even spoke of it, but all were of the opinion that they were being 
treated too well at the time and the prospects of fun were too good to 
think of taking such a step just then. They agreed among themselves 
that they might consider the subject later on if things did not go to 
suit them. 

Presently Mike began to collect his scattered senses. They 
laughed in the cage when they heard him grunting and groaning. 

Just then he evidently touched Jim who was also coming to, for 
they heard them whispering together. It would seem that they were 
both thanking their lucky stars that they had escaped with their lives. 

“We’ll have to give it up,” Mike was heard to say. “Those 
monkeys are sure holy terrors and they will never surrender the great 
goat. I know there’s big money in him, but he ain’t for us, Jim,” and 
Jim agreed. 

Someone was calling to them to hurry up with the monkey cage 
and with more grunting and groaning they got to their feet and drove 


118 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

up the inclined plane onto the car. Soon they were rumbling along 
to the next place where the great show was to exhibit. 

Billy Whiskers, in the cage with the monkeys, fell asleep won- 
dering what the coming days could have in store for him. 


up 





TOM AND HARRY INVITED THEM TO THE HOUSE. 








































CHAPTER XI 


THE WRECK 


§21 


ILLY WHISKERS was now fairly launched on his career in 
the big show that made him more famous than ever before. 
From the lordly way he ruled the monkeys he was soon everywhere 
known as “King Billy,” though he never liked that proud title as well 
as plain Billy Whiskers. 

It was not long before the billboards were covered with life- 
size pictures of himself and his troupe. When he gazed for the 
first time in his life, but a short time since, at those wonderful show 
pictures at The Corners, he little dreamed that he would ever have 
such an honor. The Circus manager was quick to see what a draw- 
ing card Billy was and of course made the very most of it by adver- 
tising him far and wide. 

On the whole, he liked his new life. The grand parade, on 
pleasant mornings, was always a delightful experience. 

Looking his very best, he rode on the back of Jumbo, the great 
elephant, (Billy and he were soon the best of friends), at the head of 
the procession, while his monkey band, who were always imitating 
his example when they possibly could, rode on the backs of the other 


121 



Billy JVhiskers at the Circus 

elephants. How the crowds shouted and cheered and laughed as 



122 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

portunities each day for Billy and the monkeys to show themselves to 
vast and always admiring audiences. 

The manager of the Circus was never better pleased than at his 
great luck at having secured such an attraction. It was proving, as 
he had foretold, the best-paying season in all the long and successful 
history of the great Show. For this reason, as one can easily see, he 
made things as pleasant as he possibly could for Billy. Both he and 
the monkeys were furnished all the time with the things that they 
liked best to eat, and nothing was left undone that could add to their 
comfort and enjoyment. 

The Circusman felt in his bones that King Billy was a very in- 
dependent person who might at any time, if things did not go to siiit 
him, kick out of the traces and there was no telling what might 
happen then. The monkeys, without him to lead them, would not 
be worth their salt as actors. There had been convincing proof of 
this one day when Billy was so sick that he could not lead them into 
the ring on account of having eaten too much ice cream with chocolate 
dressing the night before. 

The audience was so disappointed that there came near being a 
riot and a great many demanded their money back. 

After that great pains were taken with Billy’s diet, and his 
health was most carefully guarded. 

Mike and Jim continued to have the care of Billy. After their 


125 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

first experience in trying to kidnap him, described in the last chapter, 
they never attempted anything of the sort again. As a matter of fact 
they soon became very much attached to their charges and took a 
great deal of pride in seeing that they always looked their best, both 
when they were on parade and when they entered the ring. 

A rival circus sent two desperate characters to try and poison 
Billy because he was drawing all the money and their business was 
very bad in consequence. Mike caught these two fellows putting 
paris green in Billy’s salad one night. With the help of Jim he held 
them both until assistance came and the would-be murderers were 
turned over to the police. 

When the manager heard of this he complimented the keepers 
on their watchfulness and doubled their pay. Billy was grateful to 
them too. He forgave the attempt they had made to steal him, and 
after that they were always good friends. 

During the summer the big Circus visited the large cities and 
towns of most of the western states, going as far west as Denver, 
Colorado. It then turned eastward once more, and Billy began to 
feel that he was homeward bound. This made him very happy, for 
he had not forgotten or ceased to love his old friends at Cloverleaf 
Farm. While he liked the excitement, high living and luxury of his 
present life and had become very good friends both with his keepers 
and with many of the wild animals in the cages whose hard lot he 


26 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

was always trying to make pleasanter, still they were never to him 
quite like home folks. 

There was nobody who took the place of little Dick. He knew 
by this time that he could never again make so dear a friend. Then 
there were old Bob, Abbie (the black cat), the bay colt and other 
horses, Big Red, the fierce bull, and his wives, and — for spice and 
variety — the thievish old Coon down in the big chestnut, not forget- 
ting Polly Parrot, sharp and snappish though she certainly was. 
Billy was beginning to think of them all more and more often, and 
the wish to see them and be with them again was growing greater day 
by day. 

While spending a Sunday in St. Louis late in September, he ad- 
dressed a letter to his friend Bob at Cloverleaf Farm. 

As it presents very clearly his frame of mind at this time, and 
throws many sidelights on his circus life, it is here given in full. 

St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 27, 1908. 

Dear Bob and Other Home Friends: — 

I hope that you have not been thinking that because I ran 
away to see the Circus at Springfield without saying good-bye to 
every one of you I do not care for you. If so, you were never more 
mistaken in your lives. It cost me a great deal of pain to do as I 
did. You little know how much real grief I felt the evening before 
I started when I went around and called on you all. I did not forget 


27 


Billy JVhiskers at the Circus 

how you had taken me in and befriended me when I was poor and 
hungry and sick and lame and alone, nor was I then nor shall I ever 
be unmindful of or ungrateful for your great kindness at that time. 
No, dear Bob and all the rest of you, you made a friend of Billy 
Whiskers then who will be true to you as long as he lives. 

Nor must you think that because I have not written to you before 
this summer that my new business and friends have driven you out of 
my mind for even a little while. How often I think of you all, and 
every day I wish more and more that I was with you once again. 

As you have no doubt heard, it has been a great time for me. I 
wish you could see what I have to do every day. You would be proud 
then that Billy Whiskers is one of your acquaintances. They tell me 
that I am famous and I judge that such is the case from the way the 
crowds cheer every time they see me. 

Don’t think that I have become vain and conceited when I tell 
you that I was never looking so handsome and distinguished as now. 
Owing doubtless to the great quantity of rich food that I eat daily I 
have put on more flesh, which improves my figure. Both my hair 
and beard are longer, whiter and silkier than ever before, while my 
horns and hoofs are manicured daily. 

I try not to be proud and stuck up and never lose a chance of 
doing a kindness for the wretched wild animals that are shut up in 
their cages month after month. Just think how dreadful their lives 


128 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

must be. I wish I could tell you all about them but I haven’t time 
now. Wait till I am home again, then I shall have many strange 
tales to tell about the lions, and tigers, and wolves, and bears, and all 
the rest. Some of them are so ferocious that even now the sound of 
their deep voices makes me tremble. 

Speaking of home reminds me that the time is not now far dis- 
tant when I shall be with you once more. Only the thought of it 
makes me very happy. 

There is just one thing that keeps bothering me. I do not know 
how I am ever to get away from the monkeys who have chosen me 
their leader and declare that they will never leave me and that I shall 
never leave them. While my success in the show business is very 
largely due to them and I can have no doubt of their fondness for 
me, I may say to you — but you must never tell it — that I have 
never been able to like them very much. I do not forget the dreadful 
fright they gave me at first (it’s a long story and I can’t stop to tell it 
now) and I just expect they would treat me in the same way again if 
they suspected that I thought of leaving them. They are certainly the 
worst looking creatures I ever saw, and some of their manners are 
little short of disgusting. I shall have to be very sly when the time 
comes. 

This letter is already too long though I haven’t told you half of 
what I want to. 


I2Q 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

I hope that little Dick and the boys are well and that the chest- 
nut pony has not entirely taken my place in their hearts. 

With best love to all, 

Sincerely yours, 

Billy Whiskers. 

P. S. — Keep your eyes peeled and you will see me some bright 
morning before long. 

From St. Louis, where Billy Whiskers wrote to his home friends, 
the big show moved steadily eastward; by the latter part of October 
it was once more in Ohio and not so very far from Farmersville, near 
which, you will remember, Cloverleaf Farm is located. 

On the night of the thirtieth, when the show train was running 
between Hamilton and Zanesville, a head-end collision took place 
which threw most of the cars containing the animals off the track and 
down an embankment, piling them up one on the other in the utmost 
ronfusion. The frightened and tortured beasts, as well as their keep- 
ers, made the most fearful outcry that was ever heard. 

For a long time the people who came to the rescue were afraid 
to approach the wreck lest a lion or a tiger or some other man-eating 
animal might find his cage burst open and make his escape, killing 
and devouring everybody that came in his way. 

Fortunately Billy Whiskers and the monkeys were not killed 
or badly injured, though terribly shaken up and frightened almost 
to death. 


130 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

As soon as Billy collected his wits and began to look about, 
he discovered that not only was the car in which he was riding 
smashed open, but that the jar and up-set had shaken the pin fasten- 
ing the door of the big monkey cage out of place so that it was easy 
for him to get out. 

“Now is my time,” he quickly decided. “I can’t do any good 
here, and while this racket keeps up I can get away. The monkeys 
are too scared and dazed to see what I am up to, and they will not 
think of following me now anyway. As good luck will have it, I 
am not very far from Cloverleaf Farm, and I know I can find my 
way there.” 

So he stole out of the overturned cage and car, picked his way 
as noiselessly and quickly as he could through the ruins, and started 
on a dead run for the protecting cover of a wood lot which he dis- 
covered not far off. It was not so dark but that he could make out 
its faint outline. 

All unknown to Billy, there followed behind him a silent pro- 
cession of dim and quiet figures, twelve in number. They were 
the monkeys pursuing their leader. 

When he reached the wood, Billy stopped to rest and to take 
stock of his plight, whereabouts and plans. 

Like shadows, the monkeys quickly gathered in a circle around 


him. 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

“Now, Billy Whiskers,” began old Blue Nose in his most dread- 
ed tone, “will you please explain to me and my family what you 
mean by skipping out with no word to any of your band? While 
we may never have told you in so many words, you know very well 
what sort of punishment we reserve for a deserter. Speak!” 

Although Billy was startled and had great difficulty in finding 
his voice, he was sharp enough to know that his fate now depended 
on lulling the suspicions of the monkeys. So he said: 

“Colonel Mandrill, Tittlebat Titmouse and all the rest of you, 
I was never so glad in my life to see anyone as I am you now. I 
observe that you have all escaped that frightful wreck unhurt. After 
the collision, I was so shaken to pieces and frightened, while the 
din was so ear-splitting, without thinking a thing what I was doing, 
I started and ran. As you have seen, I stopped just as soon as I 
came to a safe place. Before now, if you hadn’t have come, I should 
be on my way back to hunt for you.” 

“I hope I may be forgiven for that tale,” added Billy under 
his breath. 

The older monkeys whispered together for a short time, evi- 
dently trying to decide whether or not this plausible story was to be 
believed. Although it was manifest that there was a difference of 
opinion, the majority were in favor of accepting the explanation 


132 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

as true and this decision was quickly made known, to Billy’s great 
relief. 

“I’ve just been thinking,” then said Billy, “that we will never 
have a better chance to escape than now. We are not a great many 
miles from my dear old home at Cloverleaf Farm which I have 
told you about so often. I think I can find the way. If we are 
agreed to the plan, I will try and lead you there.” 

This proposal led to another consultation, and while not very 
enthusiastic about it, the monkeys shortly said that they would go. 

As no time was to be lost, they started north at once, keeping 
in the shadow of the woods. 

“A nice time I’ll have introducing this crumby looking crowd 
to my friends at Cloverleaf,” mused Billy. “I wonder what the 
Coon will say,” and the very thought made him laugh. 


133 






CHAPTER XII 


HOME AGAIN 


proved by travelling as fast as possible. Billy and his party kept 
within the woods wherever possible, the monkeys, for the most part, 
staying in the trees, leaping from one to another, which is the way 
they get about in their native forests. They can travel much faster 
that way than on the ground. They all enjoyed the freedom they 
were experiencing for the first time in years very greatly, and were 
in the best of spirits. 

The racket their chattering made was so loud that Billy had to 
caution them about it for fear they might attract attention, and this 
they did not want to do. 

It was easy to imagine what was sure to happen if anyone discov- 
ered that there was a drove of monkeys loose in the woods. The 
whole community would be quickly aroused and a big hunt started. 
By all means discovery of this sort must be avoided. 

As soon as signs of daylight began to appear in the east, Billy 
looked about for a good place to hide during the day where they 


Y this time it was about three o clock in the morning, lhere 
were two good hours before daylight, and the time was im- 


*35 



Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

would all be safe and could rest in peace and quiet until night came 
again when the journey could be resumed. 

It so happened that they were at this time following the course 
of a little river which ran between steep banks of great rocks. Billy’s 
sharp eyes soon detected an opening between two of these large 
enough for him to go in, so in he went. To his surprise, this opening 
grew in size as he advanced until shortly he found himself in a dark 
cave as big as a large room. There couldn’t have been a better place 
for them to spend the day. A little brook ran through the cave so 
that the supply of good water was abundant. 

It was plain to be seen from the bones scattered about that some- 
time this cave had been the home of wild animals, probably wolves 
or bears, but there were no signs of recent occupation, so Billy was not 
disturbed by any fears. 

Going out, he hastily summoned the monkeys and told them of 
his fortunate discovery of a good hiding-place and bade them to lose 
no time in getting out of sight as it would soon be broad daylight. 
This they did in a hurry, Colonel Mandrill leading the way. 

You might suppose that by this time they must have all been very 
hungry and so they would but that on their way during the night, 
they had passed through many fields where there was plenty of corn 
and pumpkins, through orchards where the boughs of the trees were 
bending beneath their weight of beautiful, ripe apples, through cab- 

136 


Billy H^hiskers at the Circus 

bage patches and fields of turnips. All the time they had helped 
themselves to everything they wanted. 

If they were not hungry, they were certainly tired. The excite- 
ment of the railroad wreck and the unusual exertions of a two hours’ 
tramp were enough to bring weariness to even the youngest and 
friskiest of the monkeys. Soon it was quiet in the cave except for the 
snoring of Colonel Mandrill who never could sleep quietly. 

Evening had come before even Billy Whiskers, who had the 
responsibility of the expedition on his hands, roused from his deep, 
refreshing slumbers. He supposed from the silence all about him 
that all the others were still sleeping. As it was dark in the cave he 
could not tell whether it was day or night, so he thought he would slip 
out and take a look around when he could decide whether or not it 
was safe to start out. With this wise plan in mind, he made his noise- 
less way very nearly to the entrance of the cave, when — for the last 
time in this story — the long arm of Colonel Mandrill darted forth 
and nabbed him hard and fast. 

“No you don’t, Billy Whiskers, for I have caught you again! It’s 
my belief that you have planned to sneak off and leave us here by our- 
selves. If I really thought so, I’d fix you here and now so you could 
never play us such a trick again. What have you got to say for 
yourself?” 

“It’s no such thing,” answered Billy, mad through and through 


137 


Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

at this unjust suspicion, but scared at the same time. “I was just 
going out for a minute to see what time it is. This cave is so dark that 
I can’t tell anything about it. If you don’t believe me, you can come 
too.” 

“I will,” grimly answered old Blue Nose. 

Outside they found that the sun was already down and that it 
was fast growing dark. 

Billy Whiskers and Colonel Mandrill agreed that it would be 
safe to start as soon as the other monkeys were awake and ready. 

“I think,” said Billy, “that this little river here is the Tuscarawas. 
If so, I know my way and we shall have no difficulty in finding 
Cloverleaf Farm. By travelling fast, if we are not stopped or hin- 
dered, we should be there by three or four o’clock in the morning.” 

With that encouraging prospect before them, they started in 
good spirits. In a surprisingly short time it seemed, Billy Whis- 
kers began to look about for familiar landmarks. 

In the distance to the left, he discovered a group of buildings 
which he made out to be The Corners where he had first learned 
about the Circus and seen the billboards. A little later he saw and 
recognized the big chestnut tree where Mr. Coon lived. 

“We’ll make for that,” thought Billy. “If the old marauder is 
out and comes home to find a lot of monkeys perched in his tree he’ll 
think he is having the worst nightmare that ever horrified a healthy 
coon. How I shall laugh at the sight of himl” 

us 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

Billy didn’t dream of the tragedy he was about to witness. 

Soon they had come to the big chestnut tree, and the monkeys, 
without being told, quickly climbed into its lofty branches, waiting 
for Billy to decide on the next move. 

While he was considering how he could best put in his unex- 
pected appearance at Cloverleaf Farm, he thought he saw two figures 
of what seemed to be small boys hiding behind a clump of blackberry 
bushes not very far away. They came shortly after he arrived and 
evidently did not see either him or the monkeys. 

He was right, for Tom and Harry Treat had come out with 
their guns to try and get a shot at Mr. Coon, who of late, it seems, had 
been very bold and had acquired the very bad habit of robbing the 
hen roost at Cloverleaf. Only the night before he had imprudently 
selected for his midnight supper the finest young white Leghorn 
rooster on the place. This was the more provoking because the boys 
had expected to enter this same rooster at the county fair to be held 
the next week. Th*e Coon had now gone too far in his depredations 
and it was decided to put an end to him at whatever cost of time and 
trouble. This explains why they were watching with their guns at 
this time of night the old chestnut tree, for it was well known to be 
the Coon’s house. 

Presently a scratching inside the trunk of the tree might have 
been heard and very soon the head of the ill-fated Coon appeared at 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 


the door of his house. He crawled lazily out on the great limb near 
at hand and was about to scratch himself, as was his wont, when he 
espied one of the monkeys. He couldn’t believe his own eyes, so he 
winked hard 
and looked 
again. In- 
stead of one, 
he now saw a 
whole group 
of his arch 
enemies here 
and there and 
eve rywhere, / 
all silently 
watchinghim, 

Colonel Man- 
r d r i 1 1 the 
nearest to 
him of all. 

With that he 
closed both 
eyes and top- 
pled off the big limb to the ground. Just then two shots rang out on 



142 


Billy H^hiskers at the Circus 

the still air, and at the same time both Tom and Harry rushed forward 
to make sure that the Coon did not even yet get away. He was dead. 
There could be no doubt of that, but no mark of a bullet was found 
upon him. At the unexpected sight of the monkeys, his old and most- 
dreaded enemies, he had perished of heart failure. 

While the boys were wondering how it was that the Coon had 
died while the bullets from neither of their guns had touched him to 
their increased amazement and utter astonishment, Billy Whiskers 
appeared before them, coming from the other side of the great chest- 
nut trunk. 

On the part of each there was every indication of joy at the un- 
expected reunion. 

In the meantime the monkeys had climbed down from their 
lofty perches and, according to their custom, silently formed a circle 
about their leader and his friends. When the boys saw them they 
thought that wonders would never cease. 

It would be too much to say that they were not a little frightened 
at first, but as soon as they saw that Billy Whiskers took it as a 
matter of course and recognized who the monkeys were, they invited 
them all to come with Billy to the house, assuring them of a cordial 
welcome. 

On the way, Colonel Mandrill told Billy that the wicked Coon 
had doubtless died of heart disease brought on by the sight of him and 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

his family, and explained that this same Coon had travelled with 
their Circus three summers before, that he had been placed in their 
cage and that they had no end of fun with him. 

“Of course,” went on the Colonel, “the more he hated our teasing 
and the crosser he grew, the better we enjoyed the sport.” 

Finally, it appeared, “old ring tail,” as the monkeys called the 
Coon, had made his escape just in time to save himself from nervous 
prostration. They had never expected to see him again. 

By the time this story was finished, they had reached the barn- 
yard. It was then between five and six o’clock of the beautiful Oc- 
tober morning. The animals were just beginning to move about. 
Billy Whiskers was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. 
The first of his old friends he encountered was old Bob, the big New- 
foundland dog. Their happy greeting was most enthusiastic. Like 
wildfire the news spread that Billy Whiskers had come home, and all 
his friends rushed to welcome him. They were all present, including 
Mr. and Mrs. Treat and little Dick. 

What rejoicings there were! Even the monkeys were treated 
well on his account, though it must be confessed that it was with 
difficulty that aversion and suspicion of them were concealed. 

Mr. Treat said that they would soon learn all about it. In this 
he was right for the city paper brought in by the rural delivery man 
that day gave a full account of the wrecked railroad train and told 


144 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 


how, in the hubbub, the famous Billy 
Whiskers and his trained monkeys 
had escaped. In another place there 
was a big announcement of- 
fering a reward of twenty-five 
hundred dollars for the safe 
capture of the runaways. 

Mr. Treat, without telling 
any of the family, at once 
drove to the nearest telegraph 
office and wired the manager 
that the lost animals were all 
safe at Cloverleaf Farm. 

The following morning the 
Circusman with Mike and 
Jim appeared on the scene. 

It was soon arranged that 
Billy’s engagement was con- 
sidered closed. Owing to the 
' lateness of the season and the 
serious wreck, the show would 
at once go into winter quarters. 
The only difficulty was to induce the monkeys to go, leaving Billy 



Billy IVhiskers at the Circus 

behind. It was finally decided to build on the big lumber wagon a 
strong removable cage. When finished, Billy, to whom the scheme 
had been explained, jumped in at once and the monkeys followed. 
At the other end of the cage two of the bars had been fixed so that 
one of them could be dropped down and the other raised up thus mak- 
ing a hole big enough for Billy to get through. 

When all the monkeys were in, Mike and Jim made the opening 
for Billy and out he popped before the rest knew what was up. They 
then made an awful outcry and tore around like all possessed, but it 
did no good. 

Billy got out of sight and sound as soon as he could, for though 
he did not love the monkeys and they were more mad than sad at 
parting with him, still, on the whole, they had had good times to- 
gether and been a great help to each other. 

“I feel about parting with the monkeys a good deal as I do about 
old Mr. Coon. Though I know he richly deserved his fate, it makes 
me blue to think about it. It was a disgrace to be an acquaintance of 
his, but I can’t help admitting that he was often entertaining com- 
pany. It’s the same way with the monkeys.” 

With the reward money received for the return of the monkeys 
to their owners, Mr. Treat bought one of the automobiles that were 
then just begining to be introduced for use in the country. This 
pleased the boys greatly. Beside that he put a thousand dollars away 


146 


Billy Whiskers at the Circus 

to be used for Tom, Dick, and Harry’s education when they were 
older. 

And so, for the present, we will leave Billy Whiskers at home 
again, more admired and famous than ever before, enjoying as he had 
never done in the old days the peace and plenty of Cloverleaf Farm, 
surrounded by a host of good friends and many interests. 

THE END. 


147 


The 


Billy Whiskers Series 




Frances 

Trego 

Montgomery 



The antics of frolicsome Billy Whiskers, that adventuresome goat Mrs. Montgomery writes 
about in these stories make all the boys and girls chuckle — and every story that is issued about 
him is pronounced by them “better than the last.” 


TITLES IN SEttlES 


L Billy Whiskers 
2. Billy Whiskers’ Kids 
6. Billy Whiskers, Junior 
6. Billy Whiskers’ Travels 

6. Billy Whiskers at the Circus 
C. Billy Whiskers at the Pair 

7 . Billy Whiskers’ Friends 

S. Billy Whiskers, Jr., and His Chara 

9. Billy Whiskers’ Grandchildren 

10. Billy Whiskers* Vacation 

11. Billy Whiskers Kidnaped 

12. Billy Whiskers* Twins 

IS. Billy Whiskers in an Aeroplane 
14. Billy Whiskers in Town 

17. Billy Whiskers at the Exposition 

18. Billy Whiskers Out West 

19. Billy Whiskers in the South 

20. Billy Whiskers in Camp 

21. Billy Whiskers in Prance 

22. Billy Whiskers’ Adventures 

23. Billy Whiskers in the Movies 

24. Billy Whiskers Out for Pun 

25. Billy Whiskers* Frolics 


BOUND IN BOARDS 


26. Billy Whiskers at Home 

27. Billy Whiskers’ Pranks 

COVER IN COLORS 

PROFUSE TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS 

FULL-PAGE DRAWINGS IN COLORS 


THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY — AKRON, OHIO 




BOOKS BY FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY 


The Wonderful Electric Elephant 

“A new and fascinating sort of fairy story.” — Salt Lake Tribune. 

“A book in which youth will take keen pleasure.” — The Book- 
seller. 

By a fortunate chance Harold Fredericks comes into possession 
of a wonderful mechanical elephant so ingeniously contrived that it 
will«pass for a real animal under even the closest inspection. The 
interior is fitted up luxuriously, affording the finest accommodations 
for Harold and the traveling companion he secures by another lucky 
chance. The boy or girl wanting something new in the story line is 
sure to find it in this chronicle. 

CLOTH BOUND, 12MO, PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED, 


On a Lark to the Planets 

“This sprightly author holds the record for inventiveness.”— Philadelphia 
Item. 

“The colored illustrations are a feature of delight.” — Grand Rapids Herald. 

“As a book for children, nothing could be more desirable. It is an assur- 
ance of happiness for any young person to be the possessor of this charming 
story.” That is the verdict of one critic passing on the sequel of “The Won- 
derful Electric Elephant,” which follows the further fortunes of Harold and 
lone as they travel to the planets. 

BOUND IN CLOTH, 12MO, HANDSOMELY ILLUSTRATED, WITH JACKET 

Frances and the Irrepressibles 
at Buena Vista Farm 

“Told with a freshness and vivacity that never fails.”— Charles- 
ton News and Courier. 

Seven boys and as many girls spend a long summer on a 
beautiful farm and because of the pranks of those merry weeks 
they are dubbed “The Irrepressibles.” And, best of all, the book 
is filled to brimming over with pictures of these real boys and girls. 

ILLUSTRATIONS REPRODUCED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS, CLOTH BOUND 





THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING- COMPANY - AKRON, OHIO 


BOOKS FOR BOYS 


The Boy Scout 

By 

Major Robert Maitland 
and 

Colonel George Durston 


Where is there the boy not interested in adventure? 

.Where the boy not intensely interested in the Boy Scouts too? 

Adventure plus Boy Scouts — there is nothing more to be desired, at least that is the way 
the boys feel who have read these stirring tales. 


TWELVE TITLES 


1. 

The Boy Scouts In Camp 

7. 

The Boy Scout Automohilists 

2. 

The Boy Scouts to the Rescue 

8. 

The Boy Scout Aviators 

3. 

The Boy Scouts on the Trail 

9. 

The Boy Scouts’ 

Champion Recruit 

4. 

The Boy Scout Firefighters 

10. 

The Boy Scouts’ 

Defiance 

6. 

The Boy Scouts Afloat 

11. 

The Boy Scouts’ 

Challenge 

6 . 

The Boy Scout Pathfinders 

12. 

The Boy Scouts’ 

Victory 


Each Volume A 12MO, With An Attractive Jacket Printed In Colors, Each $0.25. 



Series 



The Aeroplane Boys Series 

By Captain Frank Cobb 

Valorous deeds on land and sea are all very well — but now come tales of the air to thrill 
the boy’s heart. And here are three than which there are no better. High in the air the 
heroes fight out their own salvation — their own and others too, who never would dare the 
heights. 

BATTLING THE CLOUDS 
AN AVIATOR’S LUCK 
DANGEROUS DEEDS 

Each Volume A 12MO, With Frontispiece, And Jacket In Colors, Each $0.35. 


THE SAALPIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY - AKBON, OHIO 


BOOKS FOR GIRLS 


The Campfire Girls Series 



& 

THE A A A 

% 

CAMP FIRE 


GIRLS A A 

is 

1 

THB 

Jr® WOODS 

UfcjMffaCT 

V* 



By Jane L. Stewart 

Never was there a Campfire composed of 
girls more charming than those claiming mem- 
bership in the Manasquan Campfire. They just 
bubble over with high spirits, and the merry 
times they have make the best of tales for every 
whole-hearted girl who likes life in the great 
out-of-doors. 



SIX TITLES 

THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS IN THE WOODS 
THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS ON THE FARM 
THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT LONG LAKE 
THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS IN THE MOUNTAINS 
THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS ON THE MARCH 
THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS AT THE SEASHORE 


Each Volume Has A Frontispiece And A Handsome Colored Jacket, Each $0.50. 


The Girl Scout Series 

By Katherine Keene Galt 

Rosanna is the altogether lovely and lovable heroine of the three stories which tell how 
she became a Girl Scout and what she accomplished afterward, together with the help of her 
loyal group of friends — every one of them as much interested in the Girl Scouts as Rosanna 
herself. 

THREE TITLES 

THE GIRL SCOUTS AT HOME, or Rosanna’s Beautiful Day 

THE GIRL SCOUTS RALLY, or Rosanna Wins 

THE GIRL SCOUTS TRIUMPH, or Rosanna’s Sacrifice 

Each Volume Has A Frontispiece And A Jacket In Colors, Each $0.35. 


THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY - AKRON, OHIO 



The Billy Whiskers Game 



BILLY WHISKERS BOOKS 


THERE'S A LAUGH ON EVERY PAGE 

The same delighted youngsters (and their 
parents too) will play the new board game 
where Billy DOES all the things the 
stories tell. 

THERE’S A LAUGH AT EVERY PLAY 

The Billy Whiskers Game 

"The Game’s The Thim. !” 





WOODWARD & LOTHROP 

WASHINGTON, 0. C. 




